Journal of microbiology, epidemiology and immunobiologyJournal of microbiology, epidemiology and immunobiology0372-93112686-7613Central Research Institute for Epidemiology17810.36233/0372-9311-2017-4-48-54MODELLING OF HEPATITIS E IN MINI-PIGSGulyaevS. A.noemail@neicon.ruPotemkinI. A.noemail@neicon.ruKichatovaV. S.noemail@neicon.ruKarlsenA. A.noemail@neicon.ruIsaevaO. V.noemail@neicon.ruGuiyaevaT. V.noemail@neicon.ruVannusM. A.noemail@neicon.ruGordeichukI. V.noemail@neicon.ruKyuregyanK. K.noemail@neicon.ruMikhailovM. I.noemail@neicon.ruChumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral EncephalitisRussian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera28082017944485410042019Copyright © 2017, Gulyaev S.A., Potemkin I.A., Kichatova V.S., Karlsen A.A., Isaeva O.V., Guiyaeva T.V., Vannus M.A., Gordeichuk I.V., Kyuregyan K.K., Mikhailov M.I.2017Aim. Experimental reproduction of HEV-infection in mini-pigs and comparative analysis of virological and immunological characteristics of experimental infection. Materials and methods. Wiesenauer minipigs (2 females and 4 males, age 50 - 60 days, weight 5-10 kg) were infected by HEV genotype 3 strain isolated from swine feces in Belgorod region in 2013. The virus was administered as a 10% clarified feces extract (800 pi). Blood (weekly) and feces (daily) were sampled from the animals for 49 days. Anti-HEV IgG were determined in sera samples using DS- ElA-ANTI-HEV-G (Diagnostic Systems) system, HEV RNA in samples of feces extracts and blood sera - RT-PCR. Results. Wiesenauer minipigs were sensitive to HEV genotype 3 infection, infection developed in all the animals after administration of the virus, that was accompanied by the presence of HEV RNA in feces for 2 weeks and seroconversion by anti-HEV. Comparative analysis of virological characteristics of experimental H EV-infection in mini- and standard pigs has shown, that the duration of the infection in mini-pigs is shorter, and seroconversion by anti-HEV occurs earlier. Conclusion. Sensitivity to HEV genotype 3 and lower weight make mini-pigs a comfortable alternative to standard swine and primates for modelling HEV infection in vivo.hepatitis E virushepatitis Eexperimental infectionвирус гепатита Егепатит Еэкспериментальная инфекция[Кюрегян К.К., Михайлов М.И. Молекулярно-биологические основы контроля вирусных гепатитов. М., Икар, 2013.][Behrendt R, Steinmann Е., Manns М.Р., Wedemeyer Н. The impact of hepatitis E in the liver transplant setting. J. Hepatol. 2014, 61: 1418-1429.][Bouwknegt M., Rutjes S.A., Reusken C.B. et al. The course of hepatitis E virus infection in pigs after contact-infection and intravenous inoculation. BMC Vet. Res. 2009, 4: 5: 7. doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-5-7.][Kamar N., Bendall R., Legrand-Abravanel F. et al. Hepatitis E. Lancet. 2012, 379: 2477-2488.][Kamar N., Selves J., Mansuy J.M. et al. Hepatitis E virus and chronic hepatitis in organ-transplant recipients. New Engl. J. Med. 2008, 358: 811-817.][Lee Y.H., Ha Y., Ahn K.K., Chae C. Localisation of swine hepatitis E virus in experimentally infected pigs. Vet. J. 2009, 179: 417-421.][Liu R, Bu Q-N., Wang L. et al. Transmission of hepatitis E virus from rabbits to cynomolgus macaques. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2013, 19 (4): 559-565. doi: 10,3201/eidl904.120827.][Liu P., Du R., Wang L. et al. Management of hepatitis E Virus (HEV) zoonotic transmission: Protection of rabbits against HEV challenge following immunization with HEV 239. Vaccine. PLoS ONE. 2014, 9 (1): e87600.][Meng X.J., Halbur P.G., Haynes J.S. et al. Experim ental infection of pigs with the n ewly identif ied swine h epa titis E virus (swine HEV), but not with human strains of HEV. Arch. Virol. 1998, 143: 1405-1415.][Ma H., Zheng L., Liu Y. et al. Experimental infectionof rabbits with rabbit and genotypes 1 and 4 hepatitis E viruses. PLoS One. 2010, 5 (2): e9160.][Morozov V.A., Morozov A.V., Rotem A. et al. Extended microbiological characterization of gottingen minipigs in the Context of xenotransplantation: Detection and vertical transmission of hepatitis E virus. PLoS One. 2015, 14; 10 (10): eO 139893. doi: 10.1371/journal. pone.0139893.][Rein D.B., Stevens G.A., Theaker J. et al. The global burden of hepatitis E virus genotypes 1 and 2 in 2005. Hepatology 2012, 55: 988-997.][Tang Z-M., Wang S-L., Ying D. et al. The Bama miniature swine is susceptible to experimental HEV infection. Sci. Rep. 2016,6:31813. doi: 10.1038/srep31813.][Zhang J., Ge S.X., Huang G.Y. et al. Evaluation of antibody-based and nucleic acid-based assays for diagnosis of hepatitis E virus infection in a rhesus monkey model. J. Med. Virol. 2003,71:518-526.]