Infection of human cells in culture with hepatitis B virus.

Monolayer cell cultures of hepatocytes were prepared from fresh biopsies of adult human liver. Cultures exposed to HBV developed cytopathic changes, including detached cells, enlarged cells with nuclear inclusions and cytoplasmic vacuoles, cells with ground-glass cytoplasm, and cells linked by long cytoplasmic processes. HeLa cells infected with HBV, or transfected with circular cloned HBV DNA, showed cytopathic effects similar to those observed in cultures of HBV-infected hepatocytes. Viral markers were detected in cells and culture medium of cultures exhibiting characteristic cytopathology. The biology of HBV appears to be amenable to study in cell culture systems.