Serological and histological findings in infection and transmission of GBV-C/HGV to macaques

Seven healthy macaques were inoculated with the GBV-C/HGV-RNA serum from a non-A-E hepatitis patient. The serology and pathology of the liver in the a nimals were observed. The results indicated that all inoculated animals wer e infected with a GBV-C/HGV-RNA viremia and had mildly abnormal alanine tra nsaminase revels during the infectious period. The histology, immuno-histoc hemistry, and in situ hybridization in the liver tissues of the inoculated animals also showed that there was a very mild hepatitis with the positive antigenic expression and the genome of GBV-C/HGV-NS5 in hepatocytes. The pa thological changes in the infected animals appeared to become normal whethe r or not GBVC/HGV-RNA viremia persisted. There is a possibility that the mi ld virulence of the GBV-C/HGV to the host became harmless with time after i noculation. infection and the transmission of the GBV-C/HGV virus in the ma caques provides an appropriate animal model and new information about GBV-C /HGV infection in both humans and animals. It is possible that this virus i s a mild and self-limited pathogenic agent to the hepatic cells of primates . J. Med. Virol. 60:28-33,2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.