title: Disease activity of hepatitis C correlates with single-stage polymerase chain reaction detection of hepatitis C virus.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA was amplified and detected in the serum of 17 anti-HCV antibody positive patients using a single-stage (30 cycles) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Specific amplification, targeted to the C-100 protein (anti-HCV) region, was confirmed by direct sequencing of the PCR product. Single-stage PCR detected the virus in 11 patients. Polymerase chain reaction-positive patients demonstrated a significantly higher histologic activity index (10.3 + 1.2 standard error of mean [SEM] than those testing negative (5.8 + 1.5 SEM, P < .05). Nine of 11 PCR-positive patients exhibited a rise in alanine transaminase (ALT) values within 1 month of assay, compared with only 1 of 6 PCR-negative patients. The correlation between rising ALT levels and PCR positivity was significant (P < .01). Direct sequencing revealed mutability in all cases, some of which resulted in amino acid substitutions. The authors concluded that HCV detection using single-stage PCR correlates with biochemical and histologic features of disease activity. Mutability is likely an important feature of HCV pathobiology and may significantly affect detection methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence 02903.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sayegh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Swalsky
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bodenheimer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase