title: Antibody testing and RT-PCR results in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: HCV-RNA detection in PBMC of plasma viremia-negative HCV-seropositive persons.
abstract: To evaluate the concordance between viremia and antibody testing in hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnosis, 682 serum or plasma samples collected from patients with known or suspected HCV infection were tested. An overall concordance of 77% between serological and PCR results was found, 5% was RNA positive/antibody negative and 18% antibody positive/RNA negative. The relationship between HCV infection, risk group and clinical diagnosis was studied in 116 patients: the presence of anti-HCV antibody without viremia was shown in 72.7% of asymptomatic subjects and 17.6% of chronic hepatitis subjects without interferon treatment. However, the detection of HCV-RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in four out of 38 plasma viremia-negative HCV-seropositive subjects (10.5%), showed that HCV-RNA could persist in PBMC and could begin the viral replication again at different times. The detection of HCV-RNA in PBMC in anti-HCV-positive subjects without viremia could reduce false-negative results of HCV-RNA testing by RT-PCR in serum or plasma.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caudai
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Padula
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bastianoni
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Valensin
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shyamala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boggiano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almi
mesh_terms: D017931:DNA Primers; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D012306:Risk; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase