Detection of hepatitis-C virus and hepatitis-C virus replication in hepatocellular carcinoma by in situ hybridization.
BACKGROUND
Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major causative agent of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of this virus in carcinogenesis is not fully understood.


METHODS
We studied HCV infection and replication by detecting plus- and minus-strand HCV RNA by in situ hybridization (ISH) in surgically resected HCCs and adjacent non-cancerous tissue obtained from 15 anti-HCV antibody-positive patients with HCC.


RESULTS
Plus-strand HCV RNA was found in 9 of 15 HCCs. Both plus- and minus-strand HCV RNA were detected in four of these nine patients. In non-cancerous tissues obtained adjacent to the HCC, plus-strand HCV RNA was found in 10 of 15 patients, whereas both plus- and minus-strand HCV RNA were detected in 7 of these 10 patients. The degree of staining by ISH did not correlate with the differentiation of the HCC, histologic classification of the non-cancerous tissue, serum HCV RNA levels, or serum transaminase levels.


CONCLUSIONS
HCV can be found in and replicates in both hepatoma cells and in non-cancerous hepatocytes in anti-HCV antibody-positive patients with HCC. The direct effects of HCV viral gene products on normal hepatocytes in the development of HCC require additional study.
Ohishi
M
M
Second Dept. of Medicine and Kurume University Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, and Koga Hospital, Japan.
Sakisaka
S
S
Harada
M
M
Koga
H
H
Taniguchi
E
E
Kawaguchi
T
T
Sasatomi
K
K
Sata
M
M
Kurohiji
T
T
Tanikawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000502:physiology*
D012367:RNA, Viral