M. M C Lai

Hepatitis delta virus: the molecular basis of laboratory diagnosis.

Infection with hepatitis delta virus (HDV), a satellite virus of hepatitis B virus (HBV), is associated with severe and sometimes fulminant hepatitis. The traditional methods for the diagnosis of HDV infection, such as detection of serum anti-HD antibodies, are sufficient for the clinical diagnosis of delta infection. However, such techniques lack the sensitivity and specificity required to more accurately characterize the nature of HDV infection and to assess the efficacy of therapies. Recent improvements in molecular techniques, such as HDV RNA hybridization and RT-PCR, have provided increased diagnostic precision and a more thorough understanding of the natural course of HDV infection. These advances have enhanced the clinicians ability to accurately evaluate the stage of HDV infection, response to therapy, and occurrence of reinfection after orthotopic liver transplant. This review focuses on the recent advances in the understanding of the molecular biology of HDV and in the laboratory diagnosis of HDV infection.

Murine hepatitis virus JHM variants isolated from Wistar Furth rats with viral-induced neurological disease.

Murine Hepatitis Virus (MHV) can produce neurological disease in murine species.(1) Intracerebral (ic) inoculation of 2-day old Wistar Furth rats with the JHM virus (JHMV) strain of MHV generally produces an acute encephalitis which kill the rats within one week of inoculation. (2,3) Grey matter lesions generally predominate in the central nervous system (CNS) of these rats. Wistar Furth rats which are inoculated at 10 days of age with JHMV generally develop a chronic demyelinating disease characterized by hind leg paralysis or paresis. (2,3,4) These symptoms generally do not develop until 2–4 weeks post inoculation.(2,4) The rats that live for 3 weeks post inoculation or longer generally have predominately white matter lesions. (2,3,4)