title: Negative-strand HCV RNA was not detected in bone marrow cells of patients with HCV infection.
abstract: To determine whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates in bone marrow, we investigated positive- and negative-strand HCV RNA in bone marrow cells and fluids, and sera from patients with HCV infection. The study population consisted of 15 patients positive for antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV). Positive- and negative-strands HCV RNA were detected using highly strand-specific rTth reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rTth RT-PCR) followed by Southern blotting analysis. Positive-strand HCV RNA was detected in 12 (80%) serum samples, in 13 (86.7%) bone marrow fluid specimens, and in 6 (40.0%) bone marrow cell samples. Negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in 9 (60.0%) serum samples, 11 (91.7%) fluid specimens, while it was not detected in bone marrow cells. The absence of negative-strand HCV RNA in bone marrow cells suggested that HCV does not replicate in these cells. Negative-strand HCV RNA detected in serum and bone marrow fluid samples may have been due to contamination with circulating HCV RNA from hepatocytes.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012367:RNA, Viral