title: Quantitative assessment of serum NV-F virus DNA concentrations in samples from patients coinfected with hepatitis B or C virus.
abstract: A novel hepatotropic virus, named NV-F virus, was recently identified. The clinical information for this virus is still scarce. Using PCR assay, NV-F viral DNA (NV-F-DNA) was detected in 12 of 50 (24%) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients (HCV-coinfected [HCVCI] group), 34 of 250 (13.6%) hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients (HBV-coinfected [HBVCI] group), and 28 of 100 (28%) non-A-to-E (NAE) hepatitis patients. Basic clinical parameters were not significantly different among the three groups. By use of a PCR-based quantitative assay, the NV-F-DNA concentration was found to be above the detection limit (1.2 x 10(5) copies/ml) in 12/12 (100%) HCVCI patients, 14/34 (41.2%) HBVCI patients, and 4/28 (14.3%) NAE patients. The median serum NV-F-DNA concentration was 9.3 x 10(5) copies/ml in HCVCI patients, but it was below the detection limit in HBVCI and NAE patients (P values were 0.0045 and 0.0001, respectively). Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified the presence of anti-HCV as an independent factor for NV-F-DNA concentrations (beta = 6.2 x 10(9); P = 0.0245). In HBVCI patients, the NV-F-DNA concentration was inversely correlated with the HBV DNA concentration. The median NV-F-DNA concentration was below the detection limit in patients with HBV DNA concentrations above 1.4 x 10(5) copies/ml, but it was 1.58 x 10(6) copies/ml in patients with HBV DNA concentrations below 1.4 x 10(5) copies/ml (P = 0.030). In conclusion, NV-F-DNA concentrations were higher in HCVCI patients. A reciprocal relationship was found between NV-F-DNA and HBV DNA concentrations in HBVCI patients, indicating the presence of viral interference between these two DNA viruses.
authors.affiliation: Liver Research Unit, Chang Gung Medical Center, 199, Tung Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Ju-Chien
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chau-Ting
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Yeh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral