title: Correlation of plasma hepatitis C virus RNA levels with serum alanine aminotransferase in non-A, non-B chronic liver disease.
abstract: The relationship between plasma hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels, antibody positivity, and hepatocellular damage were studied in 41 patients with non-A, non-B chronic liver disease. The patients were placed into two groups according to the plasma levels of HCV-RNA: plasma HCV-RNA level was estimated as high when detected by a one stage polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and as low when detectable only after a two stage PCR. Anti-HCV (first and second generation assays) and anti-GOR were also measured. The mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of the high HCV-RNA group was 115 +/- 62 IU/l, whereas that of the low HCV-RNA group was 59 +/- 37 IU/l (P < 0.05). Patients with ALT levels above 100 IU/l had invariably a high level of HCV-RNA. There were no differences in clinical features in relation to the presence of anti-GOR or anti-HCV. Circulating HCV-RNA levels but not anti-HCV or anti-GOR antibodies correlated with hepatocellular damage.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haritani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marumo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase