Detection of HCV and GBV-CHGV RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic type C hepatitis.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis G virus (HGV) viraemia were investigated by RT-PCR protocols in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 22 patients with chronic type C hepatitis. Samplings were at basal and 4-8 months after a 12 month period of treatment with interferon-alpha. A plus strand of HCV in PBMC was detected in 8 of 21 patients (38%) (p <0.05; chi2 test) with a lack of response to therapy; a minus strand was detected in 10% of chronic type C hepatitis and 25% of the patients harboured HCV RNA in PBMC. The association with a response was nearly significant (p <0.1; chi2 test). GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in the serum of 9 of 21 (43%) patients and in PBMC of 20% of the patients viraemic. Genomic sequences of GBVC/HGV in PBMC were found, but further investigation is needed to assess the findings reported for HCV.
García
F
F
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, Granada, Spain.
García
F
F
Roldán
C
C
López
I
I
Martínez
N M
NM
Alvarez
M
M
Bernal
M C
MC
Hernández
J
J
Maroto
M C
MC
D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
D016898:Interferon-alpha