<scp>CXCL14</scp> Chemokine Exacerbates Acute Viral Hepatitis in Coronavirus <scp>MHV</scp> ‐Infected Mice and Is Associated With Human Acute Viral Hepatitis

Deaths from viral hepatitis continue to rise around the world due to the lack of early biomarkers. We aimed here to evaluate the chemokine CXCL14, as a novel biomarker in acute viral hepatitis. We used a mouse model of acute hepatitis induced by murine hepatitis virus (MHV), a hepatotropic and lytic coronavirus, and showed that CXCL14 is overexpressed in the liver and sera of infected mice. Using primary cultures of murine and human hepatocytes, we showed that hepatocytes are the main source of CXCL14 after lytic hepatotropic virus infection and that CXCL14 expression is also induced by the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFα. CXCL14 KO mice infected with MHV were partially protected and showed an attenuated antiviral immune response compared to wild-type mice. Finally, we show that CXCL14 is overexpressed in the sera of human patients infected with hepatitis viruses A, B, and E or herpes simplex virus. A positive correlation between CXCL14 and ALT levels in the sera of patients with acute herpetic hepatitis, as well as in mice models, suggests that hepatocyte lysis is necessary for the release of CXCL14. Overall, these data highlight that CXCL14 expression is associated with the occurrence of acute viral hepatitis and could be considered an alarmin and a new indicator of inflammation. CXCL14 serum levels are also associated with the severity of viral-induced liver injury.