Detection of hepatitis C virus in platelets: evaluating its relationship to antiviral therapy outcome.
OBJECTIVE
Detection of HCV has been documented in extrahepatic sites such as platelets. However, its influence on antiviral therapy outcome is unknown. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the detection of HCV in platelets from a cohort of 48 chronically HCV-infected patients and response to antiviral therapy.


METHODS
This study comprised of 19 males and 29 females, mean age 54.9 +/- 8.72 years, followed-up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between August 2004 and October 2006. HCV-RNA was detected in serum and platelets (pre-treatment, end-of-treatment and 24 weeks after completion of therapy) by reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction. Patients with genotype 1 or 4 were treated with peginterferon-alfa/ribavirin for 48 weeks, and patients with genotype 3 received interferon-alfa/ribavirin for 24 weeks.


RESULTS
Baseline detection of HCV in platelets was found not to be related to therapy outcome. However, significant associations between detection rates of HCV in platelets and serum at the end-of-treatment (p = 0.0203), and 24 weeks after completion of therapy (p = 0.0016) were observed. Interestingly, HCV was detected in platelets from two patients with normal ALT who lost detectable serum HCV at the end-of-treatment and, after 24 weeks of followup, relapsed virologically in serum.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that patients with HCV persistence in platelets by the end-of-treatment appear to be at an increased risk of recurrent HCV infection.
de Almeida
Adilson José
AJ
Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. adilsonjoal@ig.com.br
Campos-de-Magalhães
Marilza
M
Brandão-Mello
Carlos Eduardo
CE
de Oliveira
Rosane Vieira
RV
do Espirito-Santo
Márcia Paschoal
MP
Yoshida
Clara Fumiko Tachibana
CF
Lampe
Elisabeth
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000821:virology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012367:RNA, Viral