Hepatitis E virus finds its path through the gut

[...]evidence for HEV infection of the gastrointestinal tract in vivo was provided by the demonstration of viral RNA and capsid protein by PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in duodenal and ileal biopsies from a patient with chronic hepatitis E. So far, HEV infection of the gut was shown in a pig model where the replication intermediate, that is viral negative-strand RNA, was detected by PCR in small intestinal and colonic tissue.4 In cell culture, HEV was shown to efficiently replicate in polarised Caco-2 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells.5 However, the study by Marion et al provides the first evidence for productive infection of authentic human primary intestinal cells. [...]the gut epithelium may represent an initial site of virus amplification before dissemination to the liver, the main site of infection. Interference of HEV with these innate immune pathways remains to be further studied in relevant model systems such as primary hepatocytes or enterocytes. [...]as type III IFN signals mainly to the epithelium to provide protective immunity to the mucosal barrier, its induction may limit new infections and contribute to the resolution of HEV infection but also to the inflammatory response.