Serum hepatitis C virus RNA levels and liver injury in volunteer blood donors.
OBJECTIVE
Liver histology in volunteer blood donors positive for serum hepatitis C virus RNA was investigated in relation to hepatitis C virus viremia levels.


METHODS
Twenty-one volunteer blood donors positive for serum hepatitis C virus RNA by polymerase chain reaction were monitored for at least 1 yr by monthly routine liver function tests and underwent liver biopsy. Liver histology findings were correlated with hepatitis C virus viremia levels assessed by a quantitative branched DNA assay.


RESULTS
Liver histology showed the features of chronic hepatitis in 20 (95%) patients. Only one of the seven patients with persistently normal aminotransferase levels during follow-up had normal liver histology, and the others had chronic hepatitis. Sera obtained the same day of the liver biopsy were shown to contain hepatitis C virus RNA of 10(5.7)-10(7.6) equivalent/ml (median 10(6.7)). The total histological activity index score (median 2, range 0-15) and the scores of portal inflammation (median 1, range 0-3), lobular inflammation (median 1, range 0-4) and piecemeal necrosis (median 0, range 0-5) correlated with viremia levels (r = 0.64, p < 0.01; r = 0.60, p < 0.01; r = 0.48, p < 0.05; and r = 0.49, p < 0.05, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that chronic hepatitis is frequently caused by hepatitis C virus infection irrespective of the serum aminotransferase levels, and high level hepatitis C virus replication is a contributory cause for liver injury in volunteer blood donor populations.
Yuki
N
N
First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
Hayashi
N
N
Takehara
T
T
Hagiwara
H
H
Hiramatsu
N
N
Naito
M
M
Kawanishi
Y
Y
Katayama
K
K
Kasahara
A
A
Fusamoto
H
H
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase