Lack of detection of negative-strand hepatitis C virus RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and other extrahepatic tissues by the highly strand-specific rTth reverse transcriptase PCR.
To further explore the controversial potential for extrahepatic replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV), the highly strand-specific rTth method of reverse transcriptase PCR was used to examine sera, liver, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and other extrahepatic tissues from HCV-infected chimpanzees and humans. Positive-strand HCV RNA was present in the liver at approximately 10-fold-higher levels than negative-strand HCV RNA. No negative-strand RNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or other extrahepatic tissues despite the presence of abundant positive-strand RNA. These data demonstrate that within the limits of sensitivity of this highly strand-specific reverse transcriptase PCR method, no extrahepatic replication of HCV was detected.
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014779:Virus Replication
D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase