Ponzetto A, Forzani B
Divisione di Gastroenterologia, Ospedale S. Giovanni Battista, Torino, Italy.
Ital J Gastroenterol. 1991 Nov;23(8):491-3.
Woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a member of the Hepadnaviridae, is closely related to hepatitis-B virus (HBV) in its virus structure, genetic organization, and mechanism of replication. As with HBV in man, persistent WHV infection is common in natural woodchuck populations and is associated with chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Experimental studies have established that WHV causes HCC in woodchucks. Chronic WHV carriage as an outcome of experimental infection is a function of animal age at time of exposure, virus dose, and, possibly, virus strain. Almost all (97%) chronic carriers developed histologically confirmed HCC within 3 years while no HCC developed in uninfected animals held concurrently in the same laboratory setting. The model has application in the study of underlying mechanisms of hepadnavirus-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and to the development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies of disease control.
土拨鼠肝炎病毒（WHV）是嗜肝DNA病毒科的一员，在病毒结构、基因组织和复制机制方面与乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）密切相关。与人类的HBV一样，持续性WHV感染在自然土拨鼠种群中很常见，并与慢性肝炎和肝细胞癌（HCC）有关。实验研究已证实WHV可在土拨鼠中引发HCC。作为实验性感染结果的慢性WHV携带情况取决于暴露时动物的年龄、病毒剂量，可能还与病毒株有关。几乎所有（97%）慢性携带者在3年内发展为经组织学证实的HCC，而在同一实验室环境中同时饲养的未感染动物未发生HCC。该模型可用于研究嗜肝DNA病毒诱导肝癌发生的潜在机制，以及制定疾病控制的预防和治疗策略。
