title: Hepatitis C viremia in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Sera from 103 patients were tested for hepatitis C virus RNA by nested polymerase chain reaction assay. Using primers from the highly conserved 5'-untranslated region, we detected hepatitis C virus RNA in 67 (88.2%) of 76 patients positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus by both second-generation and neutralization enzyme immunoassays. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detected in 93% of patients who had been infected for 10 yr or less and in 89% of those who had been infected for longer than 10 yr. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detected in all patients with chronic hepatitis, active cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma and in 50% of those with nonspecific reactive hepatitis or inactive cirrhosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA was not detected in sera from 22 patients negative for antibody to hepatitis C virus or in 5 patients positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus by second-generation but not by neutralization enzyme immunoassay. Using primers from the less conserved nonstructural region 4, we detected hepatitis C virus RNA at a lower frequency, in 66% of patients who were positive for antibody to hepatitis C virus by both second-generation and neutralization enzyme immunoassays. The detection rate was higher in patients with frequent parenteral exposure. Our study showed that hepatitis C viremia can be detected in most patients with hepatitis C virus infection, including those with long-standing infection or advanced liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral