title: Serum hepatitis C virus RNA levels and liver injury in volunteer blood donors.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawanishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fusamoto
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase