In vitro Study on Hepatitis B Virus Infecting Human Choriocarcinoma JEG3 Cells and Its Mechanism

Abstract

Aim: To build a hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected human trophoblast cell model in vitro and determine the mechanism of intrauterine HBV infection. Methods: Serum from hepatitis B-infected patients containing HBV DNA >10⁹ was drawn, subsequently inoculated into human trophoblast cells in vitro (JEG3) and passage-cultured. The supernatants and intracellular HBV viral load of inoculated cells were tested by real-time PCR, and HBV DNA was determined by Southern blot. Results: From inoculation of the 1st passage JEG3 cells, the supernatant viral load of the 1st passage was seen increasing over time, which peaked at 120 h, whereas the HBV viral load was seen decreasing gradually in subsequent passages, and tested negative after the 6th passage. In addition, infected cells of HBV DNA were tested by Southern blot, and showed continual expression in the subsequent cell passages 1–5 while passage 6 was negative. HBsAg was tested as positive from different passages 1–5, and its concentration was also seen decreasing with each subsequent passage cultured until the 6th passage when it tested negative. Conclusion: HBV could infect human trophoblast cells (JEG3) in vitro, and it showed continual expression in subsequent cell passages 1–5.

miRNAs as common regulators of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway in the preeclamptic placenta and cadmium-treated trophoblasts: Links between the environment, the epigenome and preeclampsia

“…This cell line maintains characteristics of first trimester trophoblast cells (Matsuo and Strauss 1994) and has been used to assess biological effects of exposures to environmental toxicants (Bergemann et al 2003; Canettieri et al 2008; Ding et al 2011; Koc et al 2003; Matscheski et al 2006; Adebambo et al 2015; Guan et al 2013; Kummu et al 2012; Alvarez and Chakraborty 2011). Cells were grown in Dulbecco’s Eagle Minimum Essential Media with 10% FBS, sodium pyruvate, and penicillin/streptomycin at 37°C with 5% CO 2 .…”

Presence of entry receptors and viral markers suggest a low level of placental replication of hepatitis B virus in a proportion of pregnant women infected with chronic hepatitis B

“…However, they did not investigate the presence of HBV receptors on these cells 7 . Later, other study also provides the cell models of trophoblasts to study the mechanism associated with transplacental route 22 . Though the previous studies provide evidences that HBV can cross the trophoblast barrier of placenta indicated by the presence of HBV DNA, HBcAg and HBsAg but the clear evidence of replication of HBV in placenta is lacking 23 .…”

In Vitro Study of the Effect of HBV Infection on Early Embryonic Development

“…Many studies have shown that HBV could infect a variety of primary and passage cells in vitro successfully, among which there are many reports about trophoblast cells [17][18][19] . Our research group has successfully constructed a platform for HBV infecting granular cells in vitro, and the technology is mature [4] .…”