The hepatitis A virus (HAV) HAF-203 strain was isolated from an acute case of HAV infection. The primary isolation of HAF-203 in Brazil and its adaptation to the FRhK-4 cell lineage allowed the production of large amounts of viral particles enabling molecular characterization of the first HAV isolate in Brazil. The aim of our study was to determine the nucleotide sequence of the HAF-203 strain genome, compare it to other HAV genomes and highlight its genetic variability. The complete nucleotide sequence of the HAF-203 strain (7472 nucleotides) was compared to those obtained earlier by others for other HAV isolates. These analyses revealed 19 HAF-specific nucleotide sequence differences with 10 amino acid substitutions. Most of the non-conservative changes were located at VP1, 2C, and 3D genes, but the 3B region was the most variable. The availability of HAF-203 complementary DNA was useful for the production of the recombinant VP1 protein, which is a major determinant of viral infectivity. This recombinant protein was shown by enzyme-linked immunoassay and blotting, to be immunogenic and resemble the native protein, therefore suggesting its value as a reagent for incorporation into diagnostic tests.

The liver tissue of a rhesus macaque inoculated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been analyzed for the presence of HCV RNA using the technique of in situ hybridization, both at light and electron microscopy levels. The animal was inoculated by the intrasplenic route using a HCV infected autogenic hepatocyte transplant. The serum sample used to infect the hepatocyte cells was characterized by polymerase chain reaction technique and shown to be positive for HCV RNA, genotype 3 with 10(7) RNA copies/ml. In situ hybridization was performed using a complementary negative strand probe made with the specific primer. We were able to detect and localize viral RNA in altered membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum of infected liver cells, showing evidence of virus replication in vivo.

A monitorização mensal de alanina aminotransferase (ALT) sérica de pacientes em hemodiálise e os testes sorológicos para exclusões de infecções por vírus da hepatite A (HAV), vírus da hepatite B (HBV), citomegalovirus (CMV) e vírus Epstein-Barr (EBV), permitiu-nos identificar 11 casos de hepatites não-A, não-B em 111 indivíduos avaliados durante o período de 12 meses e acompanhados por 2 anos. Foram observados 3 padrões de atividade de ALT: elevação em pico monofásico em 2, bifásico ou polifásico em 6 e em platô em 3 pacientes. Individíduos com padrão monofásico exibiram os níveis mais elevados de ALT. Cinco pacientes apresentaram normalização bioquímica persistente 4,8 meses em média após o início da elevação aguda e seis evoluíram com ascensão crônica de ALT durante o período de estudo. A hepatite não-A, não-B foi, predominantemente, assintomática e anictérica, sempre antecedida por transfusões sangüíneas e com maior incidência nos seis primeiros meses de terapia dialítica dos pacientes.

Through monthly monitorization of alanine amino transferase (ALT) in hemodialysis patients and serological tests for exclusion of HA V (hepatitis A virus), HBV(hepatitis B virus), CMV (cytomegalovirus) and EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) infections, it was possible to identify 11 cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis among 111 individuals evaluated in a period of 12 months and followed-up for 2 years. Three patterns of ALT activity were observed: an elevation in monophasic peak in 2 patients, biphasic andpolyphasic in 6 patients and elevation in plateau in three others. Patients with the monophasic pattern showed the most elevated levels of ALT. Five patients showed biochemical normalization within approximately 4.8 months after the beginning of acute elevation and 6 evolved with chronic intermittent elevation during the period of study. Hepatitis non-A, non-B was predominantly asymptomatic and anicteric, always preceeded by blood tranfusions and with higher incidence in the 6 first months after hemodialysis.