In vitro infection of human liver cancer cell line HepG2 with HCV / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To test susceptibility of human liver cell line Hep G2 to HCV in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hep G2 was cultivated with the serum from a chronic hepatitis C patient. After inoculation, plus and minus strand of HCV RNA, the expression of HCV NS3 antigen and the location of HCV RNA in cell and/or supernatant were examined by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HCV RNA could be detected from day 2 to day 40 post-inoculation in both cell and supernatant. HCV NS3 antigen could be expressed in infected cells and HCV RNA was mainly situated within cytoplasm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The results suggested that HepG2 cell line was not only susceptible to HCV but also could support its replication in vitro.</p>