title: Strong correlation between liver and serum levels of hepatitis C virus core antigen and RNA in chronically infected patients.
abstract: HCV core antigen (Ag) and HCV RNA levels were evaluated in matched liver biopsy samples and sera from 22 patients with hepatitis C infection by using the quantitative Architect HCV Ag immunoassay and a real-time RT-qPCR assay, respectively. The data showed a strong correlation between liver and serum compartments of HCV Ag levels (r = 0.80) and HCV RNA levels (r = 0.87). In summary, the serum HCV Ag and RNA levels reflect the intrahepatic values.
authors.affiliation: Virology Department, Amiens University Hospital, South Hospital, Amiens, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Descamps
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Op de Beeck
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Plassart
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brochot
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: François
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Helle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Degré
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Duverlie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castelain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D044967:Serum / Q000821:virology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus