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Updated: Nov 6, 2025

A Cell Culture Model for Producing High Titer Hepatitis E Virus Stocks
Published on: June 26, 2020
Isolation and Characterization of Hepatitis E Virus Subtype 4b Using a PLC/PRF/5 Cell-Derived Cell Line Resistant to
Wenjing Zhang1, Michiyo Kataoka2, Hai Yen Doan3
1Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan.
Abstract:
The human hepatocarcinoma cell line PLC/PRF/5 is susceptible to hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection and is used for HEV isolation. It is difficult to use the cell line for this purpose directly from fecal specimens of swine or wild boar contaminated with porcine sapelovirus (PSV) because PSV infection results in rapid and extensive cytopathic effects in PLC/PRF/5 cells, interrupting the growth of HEV. Herein, we used a PSV infection-resistant cell line, N1380, derived from PLC/PRF/5 cells, and successfully isolated a HEV-4b strain from a PSV-positive swine fecal specimen. Our results indicated that N1380 cells are a useful tool for the isolation of HEV from swine or wild boar fecal specimens, even when the cells are co-infected with PSV.

