Fig 9.

Course of WHV infection of control woodchucks. Two WHV naïve woodchucks, 58055 (A) and 58056 (B), were intravenously inoculated with 1 × 10⁷ WHV GE (week 0). The viral DNA was quantified by real-time PCR with a detection limit of 10³ genome equivalents per reaction. The GOT levels were detected using a standard diagnostic method (upper panels). WHcAg-specific and WHsAg-specific antibodies were (anti-WHc and anti-WHs, respectively) detected in woodchuck sera using protein G coupled to peroxidase (middle panels). Cellular immune responses were determined by a CD107a degranulation assay in woodchuck PBMCs expanded in vitro for 3 days with WHcAg- and WHsAg-derived epitopes c96-110 and s220-234 (lower panels). Unstimulated cells and cells stimulated with CMV-derived peptide served as negative controls. The positive (+) responses are indicated.