title: Association of hepatitis C virus in human sera with beta-lipoprotein.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA in sera of patients with viral hepatitis C is supposed to be included, at least partially, into HCV particles. We found that the density of HCV-RNA-carrying material was variable, as determined by sucrose gradient density centrifugation (1.03-1.20 g/cm3). In some of the sera examined HCV-RNA was restricted to low densities between 1.03 and 1.08 g/cm3. In other sera additional densities of HCV-RNA were found distributed over the whole gradient with peaks at 1.12 and 1.17 and at 1.19-1.20 g/cm3. HCV-RNA banding at low densities could be completely co-precipitated with anti-beta lipoprotein, whereas HCV-RNA fractions of higher densities were only partially precipitated or not at all. In 8 of 20 sera directly examined, HCV-RNA could be completely and in 9 sera only partially co-precipitated by anti-beta lipoprotein. In 3 sera no significant precipitation could be observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Göttingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomssen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Propfe
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Heermann
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Köchel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011485:Protein Binding; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D012367:RNA, Viral