Cote P J, Gerin J L, Tennant B C
Department of Microbiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Cancer Res. 1990 Dec 15;50(24):7843-51.
Persistent infection of the eastern woodchuck (Marmota monax) with the woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) produces disease sequelae similar to those observed in humans with persistent hepatitis B virus infection, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To further characterize serological markers of HCC in the woodchuck, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was measured under normal physiological conditions and following infection with WHV. Serum AFP was elevated in association with WHV-induced hepatitis and HCC and was a useful indicator of hepatic responses in individual animals throughout the course of experimental WHV infection. The frequent occurrence of normal elevations in serum AFP during the fall and winter, however, limits the use of AFP as a marker for early detection of HCC. The present temporal studies of AFP responses in WHV-infected woodchucks have identified several stages of infection where virological and cellular interactions can be investigated at the molecular level. Studies of AFP in the woodchuck model should provide opportunities to further elucidate the physiological and immunological functions of AFP and to understand virus-host cell interactions during the course of experimental hepadnavirus infection leading to HCC.
东部土拨鼠（Marmota monax）持续感染土拨鼠肝炎病毒（WHV）会产生与人类持续性乙型肝炎病毒感染中观察到的类似疾病后遗症，包括肝细胞癌（HCC）。为了进一步表征土拨鼠中HCC的血清学标志物，在正常生理条件下以及感染WHV后测量了血清甲胎蛋白（AFP）。血清AFP与WHV诱导的肝炎和HCC相关升高，并且在实验性WHV感染过程中是个体动物肝脏反应的有用指标。然而，秋冬期间血清AFP经常出现正常升高，这限制了AFP作为HCC早期检测标志物的用途。目前对感染WHV的土拨鼠中AFP反应的时间研究已经确定了感染的几个阶段，在这些阶段可以在分子水平上研究病毒学和细胞相互作用。对土拨鼠模型中AFP的研究应该提供机会，以进一步阐明AFP的生理和免疫功能，并了解在导致HCC的实验性嗜肝DNA病毒感染过程中病毒与宿主细胞的相互作用。
