Selective Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Quasi Species through a Needlestick Accident in Acute Resolving Hepatitis
Clinical Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1086/503040
- PMID
- 16586384
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W2113351757
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings illustrate selective transmission dynamics of HCV quasi species in occupational needlestick exposures and suggest that genetic homogeneity of transmitted variants may influence clinical outcomes such as spontaneous viral clearance.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study investigated how hepatitis C virus quasi species are transmitted and adapt in the recipient following a needlestick injury that resulted in acute resolving infection.
Study design
The authors conducted phylogenetic and sequence analysis of the hypervariable region 1 in the E2 domain, comparing viral variants from the source patient and the needlestick recipient at multiple time points using PCR amplification, cloning, and sequencing.
Population and setting
The study involved two individuals: a source patient (donor) and a healthcare worker or patient (recipient) who acquired HCV through a needlestick accident.
Main findings
A minor variant present in only one of ten donor isolates became the predominant strain in the recipient at six weeks (ten of twelve isolates) and fourteen weeks (six of eleven isolates) post-exposure, while the donor's predominant variant was not detected in the recipient. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed high sequence homology between donor and recipient isolates, and the transmitted variants showed substantial genetic preservation during acute resolving hepatitis.
Public-health relevance
The findings illustrate selective transmission dynamics of HCV quasi species in occupational needlestick exposures and suggest that genetic homogeneity of transmitted variants may influence clinical outcomes such as spontaneous viral clearance.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. The full study involves only two individuals from a single transmission event, and decision-grade interpretation of variant selection mechanisms, host immune factors, and generalizability requires review of the complete manuscript.
GIDS interpretation
This article was identified by classifier links to genomic epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and outbreak investigation. It demonstrates viral population bottleneck and selection during transmission but does not represent or confirm an active public health signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.