Premium
Evaluation of hepatitis delta virus RNA levels during interferon therapy by analysis of polymerase chain reaction products with a nonradioisotopic hybridization assay
Author(s) -
Cariani Elisabetta,
Ravaggi Antonella,
Puoti Massimo,
Mantero Giovanni,
Albertini Alberto,
Primi Daniele
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840150422
Subject(s) - immunoassay , hepatitis b virus dna polymerase , virology , microbiology and biotechnology , polymerase chain reaction , reverse transcriptase , virus , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , rna , biology , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis b virus , real time polymerase chain reaction , antibody , messenger rna , gene , immunology , biochemistry
Abstract We developed a nonradioisotopic assay for detection of hepatitis delta virus RNA in serum by combining reverse transcription of RNA, polymerase chain reaction of the resultant complementary DNA and enzyme linked immunoassay detection of the polymerase chain reaction products using a monoclonal antibody specific for double‐stranded DNA. This DNA enzyme immunoassay had a limit of detection of cloned hepatitis delta virus RNA similar to that of standard PCR followed by Southern‐blot hybridization (∼ 10 copies/sample) and was 10 3 to 10 4 times more sensitive than direct dot‐blot hybridization (∼ 10 5 copies/sample). Serial serum samples from six patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus infection undergoing interferon therapy were analyzed by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction followed by both standard hybridization and DNA enzyme immunoassay. The results of both methods were comparable, revealing disappearance of hepatitis delta virus RNA after 3 to 6 mo of therapy in three patients, two of whom had also a significant decrease in ALT activity. The DNA enzyme immunoassay test is therefore a potentially useful method for therapeutic monitoring in chronic hepatitis delta virus infection and may contribute to a wider application of polymerase chain reaction in clinical laboratories. (Hepatology 1992;15:685–689).