Research Publications (Food Safety)

Flavonoids, a diverse group of polyphenolic compounds found in various plant-based foods, have garnered attention for their potential in combating Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection. Flavonoids have demonstrated promising anti-HBV activities by interfering with multiple stages of the HBV life cycle, making them promising candidates for novel antiviral agents.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the liver that is mediated by autoimmunity and has complex pathogenesis. Its prevalence has increased globally. Since the liver is the first organ to be exposed to harmful substances, such as gut-derived intestinal microbiota and its metabolites, gut health is closely related to liver health, and the “liver-gut axis” allows abnormalities in the gut microbiota to influence the development of liver-related diseases such as AIH.

Background

Recent studies have suggested a relationship between gut microbiota and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the nature and direction of this potential causal relationship are still unclear. This study used two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to clarify the potential causal links.

Methods

Background Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a major public health issue as one of the leading causes of liver disease and transplantation worldwide. The instrumental role of the gut microbiota is emerging but still under investigation. Endogenous ethanol (EtOH) production by gut bacteria and yeasts is an emerging putative mechanism.

Objective Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for the treatment of chronic liver diseases for a long time, with proven safety and efficacy in clinical settings. Previous studies suggest that the therapeutic mechanism of TCM for hepatitis B cirrhosis may involve the gut microbiota. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between the gut microbiota, which is closely linked to TCM, and cirrhosis remains unknown.

DEAD/H-box helicases are an essential protein family with a conserved motif containing unique amino acid sequences (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp/His). Current evidence indicates that DEAD/H-box helicases regulate RNA metabolism and innate immune responses. In recent years, DEAD/H-box helicases have been reported to participate in the development of a variety of diseases, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is a significant risk factor for hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a zoonotic pathogen that causes global hepatitis E. Outbreaks of hepatitis E are directly linked to the consumption of pork liver products. Herein reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assays targeting the ORF2 gene were developed for the rapid detection of HEV by integrating the fluorescence detection platform (qRT-RPA) and the visible lateral flow biosensor by naked eyes (LFB RT-RPA).

Background and Aims With current standard of care a functional cure for Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) is only achieved in 1-3% of patients and therefore novel therapies are needed. Disease activity during CHB can be determined by a broad range of virological biomarkers, however these biomarkers are also targets for novel treatment strategies.

The susceptibility of mice to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection depends on their genetic background. The gut microbiota modulates the antiviral immune response in the liver and plays a protective role against HBV infection. However, whether HBV infection outcomes depend on the gut microbiota remains unclear. In this study, we assessed the gut microbiota composition in naïve BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1) is a highly lethal virus that severely affects the duck industry worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert crucial roles in pathogen attacks. Here, we conducted deep transcriptome analysis to investigate the dynamic changes of host lncRNAs profiles in DHAV-1-infected duck embryo fibroblasts. We identified 16,589 lncRNAs in total and characterized their genomic features.

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) caused hepatitis–hydropericardium syndrome in poultry and caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry. At present, antiviral drugs have not been reported to be effective against this virus, and new treatment methods are urgently needed to treat FAdV-4. Camptothecin has been shown to have antiviral activity against various viruses; however, whether it can inhibit FAdV-4 infection remains unclear.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver diseases, the disorders of which involve multiple pathological processes and elements including host factors such as non-coding small RNAs. Although several genes have been reported to be correlated with HCV infection, the potential regulatory network has not been deciphered clearly.

Numerous canonical cellular signaling pathways modulate hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. HBV genome products are known to play a significant role in regulating these cellular pathways for the liver’s viral-related pathology and physiology and have been identified as the main factor in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global public health threat. Reaching the World Health Organization’s objective for eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030 will require a precise disease diagnosis. While immunoassays and qPCR play a significant role in detecting HCV, rapid and accurate point-of-care testing is important for pathogen identification. This study establishes a reverse transcription recombinase-aided amplification–lateral flow dipstick (RT-RAA-LFD) assay to detect HCV.

Duck hepatitis A virus 1 (DHAV-1) is a highly contagious etiological agent that causes acute hepatitis in young ducklings. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important regulatory roles in response to pathogens. However, the interplay between DHAV-1 infection and miRNAs remains ambiguous. We characterized and compared miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in duck embryo fibroblasts cells (DEFs) infected with DHAV-1.

Objectives

To compare the safety, immunogenicity, and immune persistence of hepatitis A (HA) vaccines between HBs-Ag-positive and -negative participants.

Method

Symptomatic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is sporadic, and usually occurs in a limited number of infected patients, which hinders the investigation of risk factors for clinical outcomes in patients with acute HEV infection. A retrospective cohort study enrolling 1913 patients with symptomatic acute hepatitis E in Beijing 302 Hospital from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2018 was conducted.

Extracellular vesicles are encapsulated lipid nanoparticles secreted by a variety of cell types in living organisms. They are known to carry proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, and lipids as their cargoes and are important mediators of intercellular communication. The role of extracellular vesicles in chronic liver disease has been reported. Chronic liver disease such as viral hepatitis accounts for a significant mortality and morbidity burden worldwide.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) has emerged as a global health concern during the last decade. In spite of a high mortality rate in pregnant women with fulminant hepatitis, no antiviral drugs or licensed vaccine is available in India. HEV-protease is a pivotal enzyme responsible for ORF1 polyprotein processing leading to cleavage of the non-structural enzymes involved in virus replication.

Samuel Lebourgeois, Audrey Fraisse, Catherine Hennechart-Collette, Laurent Guillier, Sylvie Perelle, Sandra Martin-Latil