title: Presence of hepatitis C virus RNA in the salivary glands of patients with Sjögren's syndrome and hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA could be detected in the salivary glands of patients with both a diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and HCV infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients with primary SS (European criteria) and chronically infected by HCV and 3 controls (one with primary SS without HCV infection, another with HCV infection without sicca syndrome, and a third without SS and HCV infection) were tested for the presence of HCV-RNA (using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) in their saliva, serum, and salivary glands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the patient group, HCV-RNA was detected in the serum and saliva of all cases and RNA extracted from salivary gland specimens tested positive in 3 cases. In the control group, HCV-RNA was not detected in the serum, saliva, or salivary glands from subjects without HCV infection. Only the control subject with HCV but without sicca syndrome tested positive for the presence of HCV-RNA in the serum, saliva, and salivary gland tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that HCV may propagate and reside within salivary gland tissue, leading to HCV associated sialadenitis or Sjögren's-like syndrome in some cases, a phenomenon that does not seem specific. However, a direct role for HCV in the physiopathology of certain cases of primary SS is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University Hospital Jean Minjoz, Besançon, France. eric.toussirot@ufc-chu.univ-fcomte.fr
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toussirot
authors.forename: Gaëlle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Huédé
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mougin
authors.forename: Jean-Charles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Balblanc
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bettinger
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wendling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral