Effect of hepatitis A virus infection on cell metabolism in vitro.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV), when inoculated into cultures of the PLC/PRF/5 cell line which produces the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBsAg), showed growth characteristics different from those of other picornaviruses. Antigen of HAV (HAAg) is expressed only about 10 days after infection. No major impact on the overall macromolecular biosynthesis of the host cells is observed. The growth rate of HAV-infected and uninfected cells was comparable, although the plating efficiency of infected cells was lower. Different hormonal factors were tested for their ability to stimulate viral antigen expression. Dexamethasone or prostaglandin E1 added to the culture medium increased HAAg expression; insulin reduced expression. Persistent infection of hepatoma cells by HAV never led to a cytolytic infection. In temperature-shift experiments, an adverse effect on the expression of HAAg and HBsAg was observed. In all experiments, the amounts of HBsAg in HAV-infected cells were reduced. On the whole, no major influence on host-cell metabolism is observed in cells persistently infected with HAV. Cell-mediated immunological response as a mechanism of pathological changes in HAV-infected liver is, therefore, more likely than a cytopathological effect.