Transmitted/founder hepatitis C viruses induce cell type- and genotype-specific differences in innate signaling within the liver

Primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) are a liver-specific cell subtype, and we have shown that these cells respond in a unique manner to the introduction of hepatitis C viral RNA (HCV vRNA) derived from different genotypes of the virus. We used microarray to analyze the transcriptional differences between the PHHs exposed to the different genotypes of HCV to further shed light on their differential effects on HCV innate immune responses in vitro HCV vRNA from either genotype 3a HCV or genotype 1a HCV was introduced into the PHH cells for 8 hours. Total RNA was then harvested to determine transcriptional differences.