title: Molecular evidence that the hepatitis C virus replicates in the oral mucosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) often have extrahepatic manifestations, which significantly contribute to HCV-related morbidity, but whose pathogenesis is largely unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the HCV replication in oral mucosa of chronic hepatitis C patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected oral mucosa specimens from 17 anti-HCV-positive and four anti-HCV-negative patients. Fifteen had oral lichen (12 anti-HCV-positive). Total mucosa RNA was extracted and analyzed for presence and titer of genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA. Findings were compared with clinical and pathological features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA were detected, respectively, in 12 of 17 (70.6%) and four of 17 (23.5%) specimens from the chronic hepatitis C patients. No negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in five anti-HCV-positive patients without lichen (including three with normal mucosa). Presence and titer of the negative-strand HCV RNA were independent of HCV genotype, serum viral load, and histological diagnosis of liver lesions. The phylogenetic analysis of the envelope 2 region cloned from a normal mucosa and the corresponding serum further suggested that only lichen tissues appear to harbor replicating HCV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV may occasionally replicate in oral lichen tissue, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of mucosa damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Section of Oral Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrozzo
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quadri
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Latorre
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentenero
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paganin
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertolusso
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandolfo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Negro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral