scholarly journals Evaluation of HBV-Like Circulation in Wild and Farm Animals from Brazil and Uruguay

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 2679
Author(s):  
Yasmine R. Vieira ◽  
Moyra M. Portilho ◽  
Flávia F. Oliveira ◽  
Alexandro Guterres ◽  
Débora Regina L dos Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Qualitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Health Response ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Partial Genome

The origin of the hepatitis B virus is a subject of wide deliberation among researchers. As a result, increasing academic interest has focused on the spread of the virus in different animal species. However, the sources of viral infection for many of these animals are unknown since transmission may occur from animal to animal, human to human, animal to human, and human to animal. The aim of this study was to evaluate hepadnavirus circulation in wild and farm animals (including animals raised under wild or free conditions) from different sites in Brazil and Uruguay using serological and molecular tools. A total of 487 domestic wild and farm animals were screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers and tested via quantitative and qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect viral DNA. We report evidence of HBsAg (surface antigen of HBV) and total anti-HBc (HBV core antigen) markers as well as low-copy hepadnavirus DNA among domestic and wild animals. According to our results, which were confirmed by partial genome sequencing, as the proximity between humans and animals increases, the potential for pathogen dispersal also increases. A wider knowledge and understanding of reverse zoonoses should be sought for an effective One Health response.

scholarly journals Coverage with Timely Administered Vaccination against Hepatitis B Virus and Its Influence on the Prevalence of HBV Infection in the Regions of Different Endemicity

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Karen K. Kyuregyan ◽  
Vera S. Kichatova ◽  
Olga V. Isaeva ◽  
Ilya A. Potemkin ◽  
Elena Yu. Malinnikova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Hepatitis B Vaccination ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Belgorod Oblast ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
B Virus

Universal hepatitis B vaccination of newborns was implemented in Russia starting from 1998. From 1998 to 2019, the incidence of acute hepatitis B reduced from 43.8 to 0.57 cases per 100,000 population. Here, we assessed the timely coverage of newborns with the birth dose (HepB-BD), second dose (HepB-2nd), and three vaccine doses (HepB3) in two remote regions of Russia with low (Belgorod Oblast) and high (Yakutia) levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemicity. Vaccination data were obtained from the medical records of 1000 children in Yakutia and 2182 children in Belgorod Oblast. Sera of healthy volunteers from Belgorod Oblast (n = 1754) and Yakutia (n = 1072) across all age groups were tested for serological markers of HBV to assess the infection prevalence and herd immunity. Average HepB-BD coverage was 99.2% in Yakutia and 89.4% in Belgorod Oblast (p < 0.0001) and in both regions varied significantly, from 66% to 100%, between medical centers. The principal reason for the absence of HepB-BD was parent refusal, which accounted for 63.5% of cases of non-vaccination (83/123). While timely HepB-2nd coverage was only 55.4%–64.7%: HepB3 coverage by the age of one year exceeded 90% in both study regions. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence in the 1998–2019 birth cohort was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.01–1.3%) in Belgorod Oblast and 3.2% (95% CI: 1.9–5.2%) in Yakutia. The proportion of persons testing negative for both antibodies to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) in the 1998–2019 birth cohort was 26.2% (125/481) in Belgorod Oblast and 32.3% (162/501) in Yakutia. We also assessed the knowledge of and attitude towards vaccination among 782 students and teachers of both medical and non-medical specialties from Belgorod State University. Only 60% of medical students knew that hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Both medical and nonmedical students, 37.8% and 31.3%, respectively, expressed concerns about safety and actual necessity of vaccination. These data indicate the need to introduce a vaccine delivery audit system, improve medical education with respect to vaccination strategies and policies, and reinforce public knowledge on the benefits of vaccination.

scholarly journals Efficient Production of Chimeric Hepatitis B Virus-Like Particles Bearing an Epitope of Hepatitis E Virus Capsid by Transient Expression in Nicotiana benthamiana

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Gergana Zahmanova ◽  
Milena Mazalovska ◽  
Katerina Takova ◽  
Valentina Toneva ◽  
Ivan Minkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Nicotiana Benthamiana ◽  
Hepatitis E Virus ◽  
Chimeric Protein ◽  
Hepatitis E ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Efficient Production ◽  
Virus Like Particles ◽  
B Virus

The core antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBcAg) is capable of self-assembly into virus-like particles (VLPs) when expressed in a number of heterologous systems. Such VLPs are potential carriers of foreign antigenic sequences for vaccine design. In this study, we evaluated the production of chimeric HBcAg VLPs presenting a foreign epitope on their surface, the 551–607 amino acids (aa) immunological epitope of the ORF2 capsid protein of hepatitis E virus. A chimeric construct was made by the insertion of 56 aa into the immunodominant loop of the HBcAg. The sequences encoding the chimera were inserted into the pEAQ-HT vector and infiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The plant-expressed chimeric HBcHEV ORF2 551–607 protein was recognized by an anti-HBcAg mAb and anti-HEV IgG positive swine serum. Electron microscopy showed that plant-produced chimeric protein spontaneously assembled into “knobbly” ~34 nm diameter VLPs. This study shows that HBcAg is a promising carrier platform for the neutralizing epitopes of hepatitis E virus (HEV) and the chimeric HBcAg/HEV VLPs could be a candidate for a bivalent vaccine.

Expression of hepatitis B viral core region in mammalian cells

1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1393-1400
Author(s):  
M J Roossinck ◽  
S Jameel ◽  
S H Loukin ◽  
A Siddiqui
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Core Region ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Northern Blot Hybridization ◽  
The Core ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Nuclease Mapping

We studied the expression of the core region of the hepatitis B virus genome in mammalian cells with recombinant plasmid vectors. Stably transformed rat fibroblast cell lines were established by transfection with vectors containing subgenomic and genome-length hepatitis B virus DNA, followed by G418 selection. The RNA transcripts directed by the core region were characterized by Northern blot hybridization and S1 nuclease mapping. Using the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression system, the promoter activity located upstream of the core open reading frame was confirmed. The synthesis of core and e polypeptides was studied with a commercial radioimmunoassay. These studies show that partial deletion of the precore sequences abolished secretion of the e antigen, but there was pronounced synthesis of the core antigen in transfected cells.

Immunological Responsiveness of Pekin Ducks to Core Antigen of Duck Hepatitis B Virus

Intervirology ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 316-324
Author(s):  
Klaus-Hinrich Heermann ◽  
Dagmar Wagenseil ◽  
Stephan Lottmann ◽  
Wolfram H. Gerlich ◽  
Reiner Thomssen
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Duck Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Pekin Ducks ◽  
Duck Hepatitis ◽  
B Virus
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