title: Detection of Hepatitis C virus RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with abnormal alanine transaminase in Ahvaz.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important agent for chronic and acute hepatitis. Occult hepatitis C remains a major health problem worldwide. Patients with chronic occult HCV may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of occult hepatitis C by IS-PCR-ISH (in situ PCR in situ hybridisation) in the patients with abnormal ALT.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood samples were taken from 53 patients including 17 females (32.1%) and 36 (67.9%) males who had abnormal alanine transaminase (ALT) for more than 1 year. The mean ALT and aspartate transaminase (AST) level were 41.02±9.3 and 24.17±7.3, respectively. The patients' age were between 4 and 70-years old with mean age 38±13. All the patients were negative for HCV antibody, HCV RNA and HBs Ag. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were separated with ficoll gradient from each blood sample, then the cells were fixed on slides by cold acetone and followed by IS-PCR-ISH for HCV RNA detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen (32%) patients including 6 (11.3%) females and 11 (20.7%) males showed positive results for HCV RNA by in situ-PCR in situ hybridisation. Ten (18.8%) positive cases were between 20 and 40-years old and 6 (11.3%) positive patients were between 40 and 60 years old. Ten (19.6%) patients who were positive for IS-PCR-ISH also had positive anti-HBc IgG and 7 (13.2%) patients were negative for HBc-IgG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study high rate of 32% occult hepatitis C were found among the patients with elevated ALT.
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center; Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences; Research Institute for Infectious Diseases of Digestive System, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makvandi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Khalafkhany
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Neisi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omidvarinia
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Mirghaed
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masjedizadeh
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shyesteh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase