Objective: To study hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in B lymphocytes of patients with hepatitis C and to establish a B cell line with HCV infection and observe the hepatitis C virus like particles.
Methods: A B lymphoblastoid cell line was established by Epstein-Barr virus induced transformation directly from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with hepatitis C. The HCV antigen and HCV RNA were detected by immunohistochemical technique. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization and HCV particle were detected by electron microscopy.
Results: Positive HCV RNA was found in supernatants of B cell line. HCV Ag and HCV RNA were also showed positive. Electron microscopy observed HCV spherical virus like particles with a diameter of approximately 65 nm and 110 nm and the "bud mutation" of HCV in the cytoplasmic vesicles of B lymphocytes.
Conclusions: HCV could infect B lymphocytes and replicate in the cell line. HCV particles are formed by "bud mutation" of HCV in the cytoplasmic vesicles of B-lymphocytes.