A 27-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to 2

A 27-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to 2 weeks of low-grade fever, malaise, and loss of appetite.  The patient has no prior medical conditions and takes no medications.  He does not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol but regularly injects illicit drugs.  The patient is sexually active and uses condoms inconsistently.  Physical examination reveals scleral icterus.  A smooth and mildly tender liver edge is palpable 4 cm below the right costal margin.  Laboratory results are as follows: Which of the following is an essential step in the replication cycle of the virus infecting this patient?

A) Cleavage of precursor polyprotein by viral protease
B) Expression of regulatory latency-associated transcript
C) Integration of viral DNA into the host genome
D) Release of new viral particles by host cell lysis
E) Reverse transcription of template RNA to viral DNA

Correct Answer:

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