Hep B vaccination Flashcards
What is HBV?
- Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a DNA virus that primary infects the liver.
- Can lead to acute or chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
What is the primary target cell of HBV?
Hepatocytes.
How is HBV transmitted?
- Contact with the blood, semen, or other body fluids of an infected person.
- Common routes include mother to child during birth, unsafe injections, and sexual contact.
How does HBV enter a hepatocyte?
- First low affinity binding with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), bringing it closer to the hepatocyte cell.
- Then high affinity binding to NTCP receptor, and is endocytosed into the cell.
What happens to the HBV envelope post-endocytosis?
- It merges with endosomal membrane, releasing the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm.
What is a capsid or nucleocapsid in the context of HBV?
A protein shell that encloses the viral DNA, made up of multiple core antigens.
What type of DNA does HBV have?
Relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) that is partially double-stranded.
How does the HBV rcDNA get into the hepatocyte nucleus?
The nucleocapsid docks at the nuclear pore complex and releases the rcDNA into the nucleus.
Why is it called “relaxed circular DNA”?
- It’s a covalently closed loop that doesn’t form a tight circle but has relaxed structure.
- Also partially double-stranded, with one complete strand and one incomplete strand.
What is the different between endosomes and endocytotic vesicles?
- Endosome is a membrame bound compartment inside eukaryotic cells - involved in sorting, recycling, and degradation of endocytosed material.
- Endocytotic vesicles are the initial vesicles that form when material is endocytosed, which later fuse with or mature into endosomes.
How do ALT and AST levels relate to liver damage?
- ALT (alanine aminotransferase) - predominantly in the liver.
- AST (aspartate aminotransferase) - found in the liver and other organs, like the heart, muscles and kidneys.
- Elevated levels in the blood suggest hepatocyte injury or damage, as they leak into the bloodstream when hepatocytes are damaged.
Describe the structure of the HBV?
- Outermost envelope - a lipid bilayer associated proteins include Large (L), M and S proteins, giving rise to the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
- Nucleocapsid - made up of Hepatitis B core antigens (HBcAg). Inside is the HBV genome.
- Contains a relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA)
Hbe antigens in-between the envelope and nuclecapsid also. - Codes for an X protein (HBx) - initiates and maintaines HBV replication and modulates pathways to enhance viral transcription.
Why are multiple shots given for the HBV vaccine?
- First short is a primer.
- Second is form memory cells.
- Third and fourth ensure there is wide pool of immune cells and memory cells to fight off and infection robustly.
What is a chronic carrier of HBV?
- Infected for more than 6 months is a chronic carrier.
- Posing transmission risks.
- At risk for liver complications.
After HBV’s entry into hepatocytes, what genetic material is released?
Relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA).
What does rcDNA convert into within the hepatocyte nucleus?
Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA).
What role does cccDNA play in the HBV life cycle?
Serves as a template for viral mRNA synthesis.
How does HBV replicate its genome?
Pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) is reverse transcribed into rcDNA using the viral reverse transcriptase enzyme.
How are mature HBV virions released from the cell?
Virions are enveloped by budding into the ER, transported, and then released from the cell.