Serum HCV RNA levels in chronic HCV hepatitis measured by quantitative PCR assay; correlation with serum AST

J Virol Methods. 1994 Apr;47(1-2):95-102. doi: 10.1016/0166-0934(94)90069-8.

Abstract

A quantitative PCR assay is described for serum HCV RNA which is based on a recombinant competitive titrating RNA template. This template is derived from the 5' non-coding region of the genome and generates a shorter PCR product (93 bp) than that from the serum-derived wild type genomes (279) bp from the same sets of primers. By using this assay we have found serum HCV RNA concentrations ranging between 3.3 x 10(2) and 6.6 x 10(8) viral genomes/ml of serum in 15 samples from 10 different patients, 9 cases of chronic hepatitis and one case of fulminant hepatitis. Comparison of viraemias with serum transaminase levels has shown a good correlation for individual patients between these two parameters during chronic HCV hepatitis.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Base Sequence
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Hepacivirus / isolation & purification*
  • Hepatitis C / blood
  • Hepatitis C / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • RNA, Viral / blood*
  • Transaminases / blood

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Transaminases