Injection drug use facilitates hepatitis C virus infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been demonstrated and has been found to play a role in relapse of HCV disease and vertical transmission of HCV. Injection drug use is thought to impair function of the immune system and induce tolerance to viruses; therefore, HCV infection of PBMCs could be more likely to occur in injection drug users (IDUs) with HCV infection. Of 108 women who tested negative for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and positive for HCV RNA, 51 had a history of injection drug use and 57 had no known risk factor for HCV infection. HCV infection was found, by nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, in the PBMCs of 33 IDUs and of 13 non-IDUs (P=.00003). No correlation was found between infection of the PBMCs and HCV genotype or virus load. Route of transmission and viral factors, as well as immunologic dysfunction, may play a role in viral tropism.
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florence, and Pediatric Hospital A. Meyer, I-50132 Florence, Italy. m.resti@meyer.it
Massimo
M
Resti
Chiara
C
Azzari
Maria
M
Moriondo
Letizia
L
Betti
Idanna
I
Sforzi
Elio
E
Novembre
Alberto
A
Vierucci
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D019562:Viral Load
D000410:Alanine Transaminase