expression of HCV-associated host factors is dependent on the hepatoma cell line used in HCV studies

• Published in: Archives of virology Vol. 159; no. 3; pp. 527 - 534
• Main Authors: Hoffmann, Thomas Walter, Delfosse, Fabien, Helle, François, François, Catherine, Duverlie, Gilles, Castelain, Sandrine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer-Verlag 01.03.2014; Springer Vienna; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Line, Tumor; genes; genotype; Hepacivirus - physiology; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatocytes - virology; hepatoma; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Infections; Infectious Diseases; interferons; Liver cancer; Liver cirrhosis; Medical Microbiology; microRNA; MicroRNAs; Original Article; patients; polymerase chain reaction; single nucleotide polymorphism; therapeutics; Viral infections; Virology; Virus Cultivation; Virus Replication; Viruses; France; Single Nucleotide Polymorphism; Hepatoma Cell Line; Hep3B Cell; IL28B Genotype; Sustained Virological Response
• ISSN: 0304-8608; 1432-8798
• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-013-1862-9

Chronic infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. At present, the most commonly used in vitro model of HCV infection is based on hepatoma cell lines. However, they were obtained from different patients and different cancers and/or differ in their characteristics and permissiveness to HCV. HCV infection can be modulated by several host factors, so we compared six different hepatoma cell lines that are used as in vitro models for HCV for some of these host factors: the seven known HCV entry factors, the six best-characterized HCV-associated microRNAs, and the two single-nucleotide polymorphisms near the IL28B gene associated with response to pegylated alpha interferon and ribavirin combination therapy, all assessed by quantitative PCR. We showed that the cell lines, including Huh-7 and Huh-7-derived cells, have different microRNA and HCV entry factor expression profiles as well as different IL28B genotypes. In conclusion, some of the observed differences might explain the differences in permissiveness of the cell lines, but, above all, they raise questions about the reliability of in vitro HCV research data gathered to date.