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Systems for in vitro culture of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) are essential tools to analyse virus-cell interactions and to investigate relevant pathophysiological aspects of HCV infection. Although the HCV replicon methodology has increased our understanding of HCV biology, this system does not reproduce the natural infection. Recently, tupaia (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) hepatocytes have been utilized for in vitro culture of HCV. In the present work, primary tupaia hepatocytes infected in vitro with HCV were used to analyse the evolution of HCV quasispecies in infected cells and the ability of the virus to influence antiviral and proinflammatory responses in cells sustaining virus replication. The results confirmed the potential of tupaia hepatocytes as a model for HCV infection, although this system is limited by rapid loss of differentiated cell phenotype in culture. These findings revealed an extraordinary plasticity of HCV quasispecies, which underwent rapid evolution to tupaia-tropic variants as early as 24 h after infection. It was also shown that HCV could activate interferon-sensitive genes, albeit modestly in comparison with other viruses such as Semliki Forest virus. Importantly, HCV activated NF-kappaB in primary hepatocytes and upregulated NF-kappaB-responsive genes including the chemokines MCP-1 and CXCL2 (MIP-2). This effect may play a role in induction of the hepatic inflammatory reaction in vivo. In summary, HCV quasispecies adapt rapidly to the specific biology of the host and HCV stimulates a blunted interferon response while inducing a proinflammatory phenotype in the infected cell.

The mechanisms of liver damage in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poorly understood. The transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), regulates the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, inflammation, and antiviral response. It plays a protective role in several forms of liver damage. In this study, we analyzed NF-kappa B by gel mobility shift assay and immunohistochemistry in liver biopsies from HCV-infected patients, and we have determined the hepatic levels of the components of the NF-kappa B system by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found that NF-kappa B was activated in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Neither NF-kappa B activity nor the RNA levels of NF-kappa B subunits showed correlation with liver inflammatory activity, viral load, or HCV genotype. By contrast, hepatic mRNA values of RelA, the main element of active NF-kappa B, correlated inversely with apoptosis (r = -.68; P