title: Detection of hepatitis C viral RNA sequences in fresh and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens of non-A, non-B hepatitis patients.
abstract: In this study methods of HCV-RNA detection in fresh frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies are described. Of 22 untreated chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and 6 control patients, a plasma sample and part of a liver biopsy were freshly frozen for hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA-PCR. From 16 of the same non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and from 5 of the same control patients formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissue from the same biopsy was available also for HCV cDNA-PCR. In 13 of 22 non-A, non-B hepatitis patients HCV-RNA could be detected in plasma as well as in liver tissue. In the other 9 non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and in 6 control patients, no HCV-RNA was detectable in either plasma or liver tissue. The comparison between HCV cDNA-PCR results in fresh frozen versus formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies showed that although detection of HCV-RNA in both correlated 100% the quantity of HCV-RNA was lower in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies of 5 of 8 patients for whom end-point dilution titration of liver RNA was performed. We conclude that using the procedures described HCV-RNA can be reliably detected in both fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies and that HCV cDNA-PCR in liver tissue may become an important assay, especially for monitoring anti-viral therapy.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D010232:Paraffin; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D010232:Paraffin