title: Viral RNA in nerve tissues of patients with hepatitis C infection and peripheral neuropathy.
abstract: To assess the presence of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) in nerve tissues of 15 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and peripheral neuropathy with (11) or without (4) mixed cryoglobulinemia, nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed. Amplification of HCV-RNA was successful in 7 patients with and 3 without mixed cryoglobulinemia. This study demonstrates that the nested RT-PCR technique is a sensitive method to detect viral RNA in nerve tissue, and offers further evidence that in patients with HCV infection peripheral neuropathy can occur in the absence of mixed cryoglobulinemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Sciences, Second University of Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sampaolo
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ambrosone
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Budillon
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Migliaresi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Iorio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral