title: Detection of replicative form of hepatitis C virus RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: Paired samples of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 7 patients with posttransfusion hepatitis C were collected and studied for the presence of replicative forms of hepatitis C virus (HCV). RNA was extracted and tested for both positive and negative strands of HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Positive-strand RNA of HCV was found in both plasma and PBMC of all 7 patients. However, negative-strand RNA was found in PBMC of 3 patients while none was found in the plasma. Levels of negative-strand RNA were about 10-100 times less than those of positive-strand RNA by semiquantification with serial dilution of viral cDNA. The results suggest that active infection and replication of HCV in PBMC is present in patients with posttransfusion hepatitis C and implicate the extrahepatic infection of HCV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012367:RNA, Viral