SERIAL TRANSMISSION OF SPONGIOCYTIC HEPATITIS TO WOODCHUCKS (POSSIBLEASSOCIATION WITH A SPECIFIC DELTA-STRAIN)

Background/Aims: Outbreaks of severe hepatitis have been reported from Africa and South America. Description of the cases has shown the hist ological hallmark to be the presence of ballooning hepatocytes with fa t drops surrounding the nucleus (spongiocytes or morula cells). Method s: Experimental reproduction of this syndrome for the verification of a possible role of a specific HDV strain was performed by the inoculat ion of serum and liver extracts from African patients (Bangui-Central African Republic), who died with this syndrome, into American woodchuc k carriers of WHV (WC 231,144), the results of which were then compare d with animals inoculated with a reference wild HDV strain (WC 300,173 ,154), and those which received material from a European fulminant HDV case (WC 88,93). Results: Following the initial inoculation, the anim als receiving African inocula had a delayed anti-HDV seroconversion, h igh mortality and showed the presence of spongiocytes, while the other animals had a classical evolution of HDV superinfection in woodchucks . Furthermore, the African inocula caused less inhibition of WHV repli cation, as well as a predominant cytoplasmic expression of HDAg, in co ntrast to the animals which received the other inocula. The second pas sage experiments gave similar results. Conclusions: We conclude that t his peculiar form of HDV fulminant hepatitis can be experimentally rep roduced and might be specifically related to a more pathogenic strain.