Absence of hepatitis C virus and detection of hepatitis G virus/GB virus C RNA sequences in the semen of infected men.
The identification of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in semen remains controversial and that of hepatitis G virus (HGV) or GB virus C (GBV-C) has never been investigated. Serum and semen from 90 anti-HCV-positive drug users were tested (27 infected with HIV) for HCV and HGV/GBV-C RNAs by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, hybridization, and sequence analysis. Semen was processed into round cells, seminal plasma, and spermatozoa. Fifty-six patients were HCV-viremic, but HCV-RNA was not identified in their seminal fractions. However, PCR inhibitors were found in the semen of 34 of these men. Twenty-eight patients had HGV/GBV-C RNA in their blood and for 24 of them, ejaculates were available for analysis. HGV/GBV-C RNA was found in the seminal plasma of 6 of 12 samples free from PCR inhibitors. These results agree with the low risk of sexual transfer of HCV and provide preliminary evidence for the presence of HGV/GBV-C in semen.
Semprini
A E
AE
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Paolo Biomedical Institute, University of Milan Medical School, Italy. reprodun@tin.it
Persico
T
T
Thiers
V
V
Oneta
M
M
Tuveri
R
R
Serafini
P
P
Boschini
A
A
Giuntelli
S
S
Pardi
G
G
Brechot
C
C
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase