HCV selection and HVR1 evolution in a chimpanzee chronically infected with HCV‐1 over 12 years

Aim:  To study hepatitis C virus (HCV) selection and hypervariable region‐1 (HVR1) evolution in a chimpanzee chronically infected with HCV‐1 over 12 years after inoculation with a human factor VIII concentrate contaminated with HCV.Methods:  From the inoculum, the earliest chimpanzee plasma and 12 annual plasma samples, HCV fragments including HVR1 were amplified followed by cloning and sequencing.Results:  Five HCV subtypes – 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a – and multiple 1a strains were identified in the inoculum. Two 1a strains were found in the earliest chimpanzee sample, while a single HCV‐1 strain was detected in the 12 annual samples. None of the chimpanzee sequences were identical to those found in the inoculum. Over 12 years, HVR1 patterns changed irregularly, but a few patterns showed identical nucleotide or amino acid sequences. In the last three years, the variety of HVR1 patterns decreased, while the proportion of major patterns increased. These corresponded to a higher virus load and a lower number of amino acid substitutions. Simultaneously, the HVR1 sequences became more similar to the consensus sequence of the 1a subtype.Conclusion:  HCV selection was observed from the inoculum to the inoculated chimpanzee and from the early acute hepatitis to the persistent chronic infection. The selection occurred at three levels: among subtypes after transmission, among isolates during acute hepatitis and among quasispecies in chronic infection.