Immunization of human hepatitis E viruses conferred protection against challenge by a camel hepatitis E virus. Issue 46 (27th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guo, Yingqiu; Yang, Fengmei; Xu, Xingli; Feng, Min; Liao, Yun; He, Zhanlong; Takeda, Naokazu; Muramatsu, Masamichi; Li, Qihan; Li, Tian-Cheng
• Is Part Of: Vaccine. Volume 38:Issue 46(2020)
• Page Start: 7316
• Page End: 7322
• Publication Date: 2020-10-27
• Subjects: ALT alanine aminotransferase -- DcHEV dromedary camel hepatitis E virus -- ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay -- NGS next-generation sequencing -- OD optical density -- ORF open reading frame -- p.i. post-inoculation -- RT-qPCR real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction -- VLP virus-like particle; Dromedary camel hepatitis E virus -- HEV-7 -- Virus-like particle -- Vaccine -- Zoonotic infection; Vaccines -- Periodicals; 615.372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.09.036
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-410X

Abstract

Abstract: Dromedary camel hepatitis E virus is a novel HEV that belongs to the family Hepeviridae, and is classified as genotype 7 HEV (HEV-7). Since HEV-7 is transmitted from camels to humans and causes acute hepatitis E, this virus is a non-negligible pathogen for zoonosis, and a vaccine against HEV-7 infection is urgently needed. Here, we first intravenously inoculated HEV-7 to rhesus monkeys to explore the susceptibility, and we established an animal model. We then used virus-like particles (VLPs) of HEV-1 (HEV-1 VLPs) and HEV-3 (HEV-3 VLPs), a candidate hepatitis E vaccine, to intramuscularly inoculate rhesus monkeys. The monkeys elicited IgG antibody titers as high as >1:102, 400 against heterologous HEV-7 without any adjuvants. The HEV-1 VLPs and HEV-3 VLPs-immunized monkeys were challenged intravenously with HEV-7, and they were protected completely from the infection, demonstrating that these VLPs could be a usable vaccine against HEV-7 infection. We also observed that HEV-7-infected rhesus monkeys did not show any liver damage during these experiments. Further efforts are necessary to establish an animal model for investigation of the pathogenesis of hepatitis E caused by HEV-7 infection.