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Hepatitis C virus infection of mononuclear cells from peripheral blood and liver infiltrates in chronically infected patients
Author(s) -
Zignego Anna Linda,
De Carli Marco,
Monti Monica,
Careccia Grazia,
La Villa Giorgio,
Giannini Carlo,
D'Elios Mario Milco,
Prete Gianfranco Del,
Gentilini Paolo
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890470112
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , hepatitis c virus , virology , immunology , cirrhosis , virus , hepatitis c , medicine , hepatitis , viral disease , immune system , chronic infection , liver disease , biology , in vitro , biochemistry
The mechanisms underlying chronicity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poorly understood, but the importance of impaired viral clearance by the immune system has been suggested. The prevalence of HCV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was in investigated in 34 persistently infected patients with anti‐HCV (7 with liver cirrhosis, 10 with chronic active hepatitis, 5 with chronic persistent hepatitis, 4 with chronic lobular hepatitis, and 8 healthy carriers) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HCV infection of 116 T cell clones derived from liver infiltrating mononuclear cells obtained from 3 patients with chronic liver disease was examined using the same methods. HCV genomic sequences were found in fresh, unstimulated PBMC from 20 patients with cirrhosis, and chronic active and persistent hepatitis, but in none of the healthy carriers and only in mitogen‐activated cells from 1 out of 4 patients with autoresolving chronic lobular hepatitis. Active PBMC infection was confirmed by identification of anti‐genomic HCV sequences in the majority of HCV RNA‐positive cells (fresh or mitogen‐stimulated). A high percentage of T cell clones obtained from liver infiltrates were found to be infected by HCV. These findings suggest that HCV infection of lymphatic cells plays a role in the pathogenesis of chronically evolving liver damage. PBMC may represent a reservoir for latent infection and a site for viral multiplication. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.