Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
09:02
Modeling Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Non-Hepatic 293T-NE-3NRs Cells
Published on: June 5, 2020
Hepatitis viruses: not always what it seems to be
Juan Fernando Gallegos-Orozco1, Jorge Rakela-Brödner
1Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.
Revista Medica De Chile
|February 1, 2011
Summary
Non-classic hepatitis viruses, including cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, can cause severe liver injury, mimicking classic hepatitis. Early diagnosis and consideration of these systemic viruses are crucial for effective patient management and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Classic hepatotropic viruses (Hepatitis A-E) are well-known causes of liver infection.
- However, other systemic viruses can also lead to significant hepatic injury, presenting similar clinical symptoms.
- These non-classic viral agents pose diagnostic challenges due to overlapping presentations with hepatitis A-E.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight that systemic viruses, beyond the classic hepatotropic types, can cause acute liver injury.
- To emphasize the diverse clinical spectrum of hepatic involvement by these non-classic viruses.
- To underscore the importance of considering these agents in differential diagnosis of acute liver disease.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical presentations and outcomes associated with non-classic viral hepatitis.
- Analysis of specific viruses implicated, including cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, human herpesviruses 6, 7, and 8, parvovirus B19, and adenoviruses.
- Discussion of diagnostic approaches, including serologic markers and liver biopsy findings.
Main Results:
- Systemic viruses can cause a wide range of hepatic injury, from mild aminotransferase elevation to acute liver failure and fulminant hepatitis.
- Clinical manifestations can be indistinguishable from classic viral hepatitis, affecting neonates, adults, and immunocompromised individuals.
- Specific viruses like Epstein-Barr virus and Varicella-Zoster virus have been linked to severe hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure, sometimes requiring liver transplantation.
Conclusions:
- It is critical to consider non-classic viral etiologies in patients presenting with acute liver injury, especially when classic viral markers are negative.
- Prompt identification of these viruses is essential for appropriate treatment, such as intravenous acyclovir for herpesvirus infections.
- Liver biopsy can provide valuable diagnostic clues for these less commonly recognized causes of viral hepatitis.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
01:28Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction
Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
01:18Yellow Fever
Yellow fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease caused by the yellow fever virus (YFV), a member of the Flaviviridae family. It is transmitted primarily by Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South America. After transmission through a mosquito bite, the virus initially replicates in skin-resident immune cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages. These cells then migrate to the lymph nodes, where viral replication increases, eventually leading to...
01:29Subviral Agents
Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...