Horizontal transmission might be a common route of hepatitis B virus exposure in highly endemic areas.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common viral pathogen that infects more than a third of the world's population; however, the transmission route remains to be further defined. The 18-year implementation of the free HBV vaccine for children has greatly changed the prevalence of HBV infection in China, which presents a unique real-world model for assessing the pattern of HBV transmission. Cross-sectional data of HBV seromarkers between July 2019 and April 2020 were collected from 53 371 individuals aged 1-60 years in four areas of North to South in Eastern China.

Interferon Gamma-Inducible Protein 16 of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells May Sense Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Regulate the Antiviral Immunity.

Interferon gamma-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) is a DNA sensor protein, which triggers interferon-beta (IFN-β) production. However, the role of IFI16 in the innate immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains controversial. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum specimens were collected from 20 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving Peg-IFN-α2b therapy.

Successful treatment of infantile hepatitis B with lamivudine: A case report.

Background: How to treat infantile hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a controversial issue. The nucleoside analogue lamivudine (LAM) has been approved to treat children (2 to 17 years old) with chronic hepatitis B. Here, we aimed to investigate the benefit of LAM treatment in infantile hepatitis B.

ACE2 and TMPRSS2 Expression in Hepatocytes of Chronic HBV Infection Patients.

Background: Pre-existing liver disease is a risk factor for the worse prognosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to evaluate whether chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) affect the expression of viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) in the liver.

Methods: Twelve pairs of matched liver tissues of HCC and para-carcinoma were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

DDX5-targeting fully human monoclonal autoantibody inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation of acute promyelocytic leukemia cells by increasing ROS production.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) therapy involves the compounds cytotoxic to both malignant tumor and normal cells. Relapsed APL is resistant to subsequent chemotherapy. Novel agents are in need to kill APL cells selectively with minimal toxicity.

Persistent viral RNA positivity during the recovery period of a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

As an emerging infectious disease, the clinical course and virological course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remain to be further investigated. In this case report, we described a case of SARS-CoV-2 infection with the clinical course for more than 2 months. This patient had recovered from pneumonia after treatment.

Revision of serum ALT upper limits of normal facilitates assessment of mild liver injury in obese children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level is a critical parameter for evaluating liver injury in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the currently accepted upper limits of normal (ULN) for serum ALT (ULN-ALT) are debated, as they may be excessively high.

Methods: A total of 1638 children aged 6-16 years, comprising 507 children with normal BMI (500 healthy children and 7 children with NAFLD), 199 overweight children, and 932 obese children, were included in the analysis.

Application of personal-oriented digital technology in preventing transmission of COVID-19, China.

We reported several personal-oriented and mobile phone-based information technologies which were recently developed and widely used during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. These technologies help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and maintain normal social order.

Role of hepatitis B antibody in predicting reactivation of resolved hepatitis B virus infection in leukemia patients.

Background & Aims: Quantification of anti-HBs and anti-HBc predicts the risk of HBV reactivation (HBVr) in lymphoma patients receiving rituximab treatment. However, it remains unclear whether the quantification is predictive of HBVr in leukemia patients undergoing immunosuppression.

Methods: and patients: Clinical and laboratory data of the leukemia patients with resolved HBV infection diagnosed between January 2013 and March 2018 were retrospectively collected.

Hepatitis B Virus Virions Produced Under Nucleos(t)ide Analogue Treatment Are Mainly Not Infectious Because of Irreversible DNA Chain Termination.

Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) have been widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Because viral DNA polymerase lacks proofreading function (3' exonuclease activity), theoretically, the incorporated NAs would irreversibly terminate viral DNA synthesis. This study explored the natures of nascent hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and infectivity of progeny virions produced under NA treatment.

An Assessment of Upper Limits of Normal for ALT and the Impact on Evaluating Natural Course of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Chinese Children.

Background: The current upper limits of normal (ULN) for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are increasingly challenged. We aimed to re-evaluate the ULN for ALT and assess the potential impact on the classification of natural course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children.

Methods: Laboratory data obtained from three hospitals in China were retrospectively analysed.

HBsAg stimulates NKG2D receptor expression on natural killer cells and inhibits hepatitis C virus replication.

Background: Higher hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) facilitates hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)/HCV co-infection. We investigated the effect of exogenous HBsAg on the inhibition of HCV replication mediated by natural killer (NK) cells.

Methods: After isolated from peripheral blood of 42 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 16 healthy individuals, NK cells were co-cultured with HCV-infected Huh7 cells, respectively, with or without HBsAg.

Delivery of cell-penetrating peptide-peptide nucleic acid conjugates by assembly on an oligonucleotide scaffold.

Delivery to intracellular target sites is still one of the main obstacles in the development of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) as antisense-antigene therapeutics. Here, we designed a self-assembled oligonucleotide scaffold that included a central complementary region for self-assembly and lateral regions complementing the PNAs. Assembly of cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-PNAs on the scaffold significantly promoted endocytosis of PNAs by at least 10-fold in cell cultures, particularly for scaffolds in which the central complementary region was assembled by poly(guanine) and poly(cytosine).

Serum viral duplex-linear DNA proportion increases with the progression of liver disease in patients infected with HBV.

Objective: HBV has two forms of genomic DNA, relaxed-circular DNA (rcDNA) and duplex-linear DNA (dlDNA). Compared to rcDNA, dlDNA has been demonstrated to integrate more frequently into host cellular chromosomes, which may have oncogenic consequences. However, the dlDNA proportion relative to total HBV DNA and its clinical significance in patients remain to be investigated.

2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterases inhibit hepatitis B virus replication.

2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) is a member of the interferon-stimulated genes, which includes isoforms CNP1 and CNP2. CNP1 is locally expressed in the myelin sheath but CNP2 is additionally expressed at low levels outside the nervous system. CNPs regulate multiple cellular functions and suppress protein production by association with polyadenylation of mRNA.

BST2/Tetherin inhibits hepatitis C virus production in human hepatoma cells.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a common cause of chronic hepatitis and is currently treated with alpha interferon (IFN-α)-based therapies. IFN-induced cell membrane protein BST2 (also known as CD317, HM1.24 or tetherin) has been reported to tether a broad range of lipid-enveloped viruses on cell surfaces.

BST2/tetherin inhibits dengue virus release from human hepatoma cells.

Unlabelled: Type I interferons (IFN) have been shown to play an important role for inhibiting Dengue virus (DENV) infection. Identifying IFN-induced cellular proteins are essential for understanding its mechanisms against DENV. Here we established stable Huh7-derived cell lines expressing the IFN-induced cell membrane protein BST2 (Huh7-BST2) or its variant bearing a V5 tag at the C-terminal (Huh7-BST5CV5).

Characterization of microRNA expression profiles associated with hepatitis B virus replication and clearance in vivo and in vitro.

Background And Aim: Alpha interferon (IFN-α) is an approved treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). MicroRNA (miRNA) are currently known as a part of IFN-mediated antiviral defense. We aimed at characterizing the miRNA expression associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and IFN-mediated HBV clearance.

Artificial recombinant cell-penetrating peptides interfere with envelopment of hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid and viral production.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major human infectious pathogen, with over 300 million chronically infected patients worldwide. Current therapeutics for chronic HBV infection have shown only limited success. The plasma membrane represents an impermeable barrier for development of most macromolecular antiviral agents.

Interferon-induced cell membrane proteins, IFITM3 and tetherin, inhibit vesicular stomatitis virus infection via distinct mechanisms.

Tetherin and IFITM3 are recently identified interferon-induced cellular proteins that restrict infections by retroviruses and filoviruses and of influenza virus and flaviviruses, respectively. In our efforts to further explore their antiviral activities against other viruses and determine their antiviral mechanisms, we found that the two antiviral proteins potently inhibit the infection of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a prototype member of the Rhabdoviridae family. Taking advantage of this well-studied virus infection system, we show that although both tetherin and IFITM3 are plasma membrane proteins, tetherin inhibits virion particle release from infected cells, while IFITM3 disrupts an early event after endocytosis of virion particles but before primary transcription of incoming viral genomes.

Interferons accelerate decay of replication-competent nucleocapsids of hepatitis B virus.

Alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) is an approved medication for chronic hepatitis B. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is a key mediator of host antiviral immunity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in vivo. However, the molecular mechanism by which these antiviral cytokines suppress HBV replication remains elusive.

Identification of five interferon-induced cellular proteins that inhibit west nile virus and dengue virus infections.

Interferons (IFNs) are key mediators of the host innate antiviral immune response. To identify IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) that instigate an antiviral state against two medically important flaviviruses, West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus (DENV), we tested 36 ISGs that are commonly induced by IFN-alpha for antiviral activity against the two viruses. We discovered that five ISGs efficiently suppressed WNV and/or DENV infection when they were individually expressed in HEK293 cells.

[Construction of eukaryotic expression vector expressing hepatitis B virus HBsAg and EGFP fusion protein and establishment of stable transfected Chang Liver cell line].

Objective: To construct a eukaryotic expression vector for expressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) recombinant HBsAg-EGFP fusion protein and obtain a stable transfected Chang Liver cell line.

Methods: The coding region of HBsAg gene of HBV was amplified by PCR and was digested by BamH I/EcoR I . This fragment was inserted into pEGFPN1 with T4 ligase and transformed E-coli TG1.