title: Detection and quantitation of serum HCV-RNA by branched DNA amplification in anti-HCV positive blood donors.
abstract: The detection of serum HCV-RNA needs to be standardized. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the branched DNA amplification method in detecting and quantitating serum HCV-RNA in 54 blood donors, 33 with and 21 without increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels and with detectable serum HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction. HCV-RNA was detected by branched DNA signal amplification in 42/54 (77%) of the blood donors. Positivity rates were not different among the 21 blood donors with normal and the 33 blood donors with increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels (86% and 76%, respectively). Median serum HCV-RNA levels were not different among donors with or without increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels (28.6 x 10(5) Eq/ml and 14.7 x 10(5) Eq/ml, respectively). There was no significant correlation between serum alanine aminotransferase levels and serum HCV-RNA levels. These findings show that branched DNA signal amplification identifies most of the donors with true hepatitis C virus viremia and that the level of hepatitis C virus replication is not correlated to serum alanine aminotransferase levels.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherches de Physiopathologie Hépatique (INSERM), Service d'Hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinot-Peignoux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marcellin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gournay
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Courtois
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Branger
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erlinger
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Benhamou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase