Liver-derived cell lines QSG-7701 and HepG2 support different HBV replication patterns

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is currently still a worldwide heath concern. In our study, we compared HBV replication patterns in two liver-derived cell lines, QSG-7701 and HepG2. Viral markers of HBV replication in culture medium and cells were analyzed after transfection of these cells with plasmid pUC18-HBV1.2 into. We showed that QSG-7701 cells could support more stable and a higher level of HBV replication than HepG2 cells. Gene expression profiles of QSG-7701 and HepG2 cells by microarray analysis showed that many genes were differentially expressed between these two cell lines, including those that are related to the HBV life cycle. The global gene expression profile of these two cell types provides some clues to explain how different HBV replication is achieved. QSG-7701 cells offer a new opportunity for basic research on HBV virus-host interactions.