Hepatitis C virus RNA quantification in right and left lobes of the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Quantification of hepatitis C virus RNA in liver tissue is likely to be useful in the study of the natural history, pathogenesis, progression and treatment of hepatitis C virus-associated liver disease. Quantitative measurements of hepatitis C virus RNA in liver biopsy samples using the branched DNA (bDNA) signal amplification assay were carried out. The aims of this study were threefold: first, to assess the level of hepatitis C virus RNA in biopsy samples from the right and left lobes of the liver; second, to evaluate the correlation between hepatitis C virus RNA levels in serum and liver; and third, to investigate the relationship between serum and liver hepatitis C virus RNA levels and the severity of hepatic histology in non-cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis C. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.92, P < 0.01) between hepatitis C virus RNA levels in the right and left lobes of the liver as well as a strong correlation between hepatitis C virus RNA levels in liver and serum (r = 0.82, P < 0.01). However, there was no significant correlation between the severity of hepatic histology and levels of hepatitis C virus RNA in serum and liver among patients with chronic active hepatitis classified according to Knodell's hepatic activity index (KI). Our results indicate that hepatitis C virus RNA quantification from a single liver biopsy is representative of both lobes in patients with chronic hepatitis, and suggest that serum hepatitis C virus RNA levels are a meaningful reflection of hepatitis C virus RNA levels in the liver.
Idrovo
V
V
Division of Hepatology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL, USA.
Dailey
P J
PJ
Jeffers
L J
LJ
Coelho-Little
E
E
Bernstein
D
D
Bartholomew
M
M
Alvarez
L
L
Urdea
M S
MS
Collins
M L
ML
Schiff
E R
ER
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019562:Viral Load
D012367:RNA, Viral