Detection of hepatitis A viral RNA in sera of patients with acute hepatitis A.
OBJECTIVE
The Detection of hepatitis A virus (HAV) is important for diagnosis and epidemiological studies of hepatitis A. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is a sensitive test to detect HAV-RNA in specimens. The aims of the present study were to clarify the detection rate of serum HAV-RNA by PCR and the natural history of HAV viraemia, and to determine the correlation between viraemia and the clinical characteristics in patients with acute hepatitis A.


METHODS
Hepatitis A virus RNA was tested in 74 serum samples which were serially collected from 27 patients with acute hepatitis A. A nested reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for HAV-RNA was performed with primer sets located at the VP1 region of the HAV genome and the PCR products were electrophoresed on a 1.5% agarose gel.


RESULTS
Hepatitis A virus RNA was found in 18 of 27 (67%) patients with hepatitis A. There were no significant differences between groups positive and negative for HAV-RNA in clinical and laboratory data, except the time interval between clinical onset and initial serum sampling for RT-PCR (10 +/- 6 vs 19 +/- 14 days) and the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level at initial serum sampling for RT-PCR (1436 +/- 1416 vs 518 +/- 432 IU/L). The mean duration of HAV viraemia was 30 +/- 19 days (range, 5-59 days). The duration of HAV viraemia and duration of abnormal ALT levels from clinical onset were positively correlated (r = 0.685, P = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, HAV-RNA RT-PCR is a useful tool to detect HAV viraemia and to study the molecular epidemiology of HAV infection.
Kwon
O S
OS
Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul.
Byun
K S
KS
Yeon
J E
JE
Park
S H
SH
Kim
J S
JS
Kim
J H
JH
Bak
Y T
YT
Kim
J H
JH
Lee
C H
CH
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D017957:Hepatitis A Virus, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology
D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase