Hepatitis C virus replicates in sweat glands and is released into sweat in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates in salivary glands of chronic hepatitis C patients and is released into the saliva, suggesting that HCV may replicate in other exocrine glands. The presence of positive and negative HCV RNA strands was demonstrated by in situ hybridization, and of HCV core protein by immunohistochemistry, in sweat glands and keratinocytes in healthy skin biopsies from 15 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 10 anti-HCV negative patients with chronic liver disease. Positive and negative HCV RNA strands were detected in 9.6 +/- 5.2% and 4.2 +/- 3.8%, respectively, of the epithelial cells of eccrine sweat glands. Core protein was detected in 6.0 +/- 3.93% of these cells. HCV RNA resistant to RNase digestion (encapsidated HCV RNA) was detected in 10/10 sweat samples from HCV-infected patients. Positive and negative HCV RNA strands were detected in 6.7 +/- 2.97% and 3.0 +/- 3.08% of the keratinocytes, respectively. HCV core protein was found in 4.5 +/- 2.76% of these cells. No HCV RNA or HCV core protein was detected in the skin biopsies from the 10 anti-HCV negative patients. In conclusion, HCV replicates in eccrine sweat glands cells and keratinocytes in healthy skin and is released into the sweat.
Ortiz-Movilla
Nuria
N
Institute of Hepatology, Hospital Pardo de Aravaca and Fundación para el Estudio de las Hepatitis Virales, Madrid, Spain.
Lázaro
Pablo
P
Rodríguez-Iñigo
Elena
E
Bartolomé
Javier
J
Longo
Isabel
I
Lecona
Manuel
M
Pardo
Margarita
M
Carreño
Vicente
V
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013545:Sweat Glands / Q000821:virology*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014779:Virus Replication
D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins