Abstract
Previously, a non-human DNA fragment named NV-F was isolated from a patient with non-A-E fulminant hepatitis. This sequence encoded an incomplete open reading frame (the NV-F antigen). In this study, we developed a western blot assay to detect serum anti-NV-F antibodies. Serum samples from 347 patients with severe hepatitis (ALT>fivefold ULN) were analyzed to understand the prevalence and distribution of the NV-F associated virus (HnFV) infection. Of these patients, acute HnFV infection was diagnosed (by positive serum NV-F DNA) in 34 patients (9.8%). However, none of these 34 serum samples were positive for serum anti-NV-F antibodies. In the remaining patients negative for serum NV-F DNA, 62 (17.9%) were positive for serum anti-NV-F antibodies. Liver biopsy samples from 35 severe hepatitis patients were submitted for immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy examination. Of them, seven were positive for hepatic NV-F antigen expression. Electron microscopy identified a novel virus-like particle in all of the seven NV-F antigen-positive liver tissues but not in the remaining 28 NV-F antigen-negative liver tissues. Longitudinal serum sample analysis revealed transient positivity of serum NV-F DNA in three of the seven patients during the clinical courses. Seroconversion of anti-NV-F antibody from negative to positive was found in four of the seven patients and all positive anti-NV-F antibodies were detected in the convalescent phases. In conclusion, in patients with severe hepatitis, a novel hepatotropic virus, temporarily named HnFV, was found in liver tissues expressing the NV-F antigen. Serum anti-NV-F antibodies were detected in the convalescent serum samples.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1727-1736 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Journal of Medical Virology |
Volume | 87 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 01 10 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords
- Co-infection
- Electron microscopy
- Hepatotropic
- Seroconversion