title: Assessment of HBV DNA levels in human plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells by TaqMan Q-PCR assay.
abstract: Hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) levels were quantitatively determined by a TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan Q-PCR) in the plasma and in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 120 patients with biopsy proven chronic hepatitis. The number of HBV DNA copies ranged from 10(1) to 10(10)/ml of the blood. There were no significant differences between plasma and PBMCs levels of HBV DNA in neither of HBV infected alone nor HCV co-infected patients. The number of HBV DNA copies was higher in the both compartments in blood of patients infected with HBV only, in comparison to those co-infected with HBV and HCV. In patients chronic hepatitis caused by both viruses (co-infection), decrease of HBV DNA copies in the PBMCs preceded its disappearance from the plasma. Our results suggest that assessment of HBV DNA in PBMCs does not produce important advantage in diagnosis of chronic hepatitis, and it seems to have the prognostic significance of positive outcome among the patients with chronic hepatitis induced by HBV and HCV co-infection. Our results also indirectly indicate that HCV may reciprocally inhibit replication of HBV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biopharmacy, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Narcyzów 1, 41-206 Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strzałka
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krysiak
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gonciarz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilczok
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009696:Nucleic Acids; D004247:DNA