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Hepatitis C virus does not infect muscle, the intervertebral disk, or the meniscus in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Author(s) -
Bartolomé Javier,
RodríguezIñigo Elena,
Erice Alejo,
Vidal Sonia,
Castillo Inmaculada,
Carreño Vicente
Publication year - 2007
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.21005
Subject(s) - virology , medicine , virus , hepatitis c virus , chronic hepatitis , medial meniscus , hepatitis virus , meniscus , pathology , osteoarthritis , physics , incidence (geometry) , alternative medicine , optics
Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with several extrahepatic manifestations, including neuromuscular and joint disorders, and HCV RNA has been detected in muscle fibers of patients with myosistis and chronic hepatitis C. However, whether HCV infects muscle cells in patients without myosistis is unknown. The presence of HCV in other sites of the musculoskeletal system has not been investigated. In the present study the presence of HCV RNA was sought in muscle (2 cases), intervertebral disk (1 case) and meniscus (1 case) samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C. HCV RNA was not detected by reverse transcription and real‐time polymerase chain reaction in any of the samples tested. In conclusion, the results do not support a direct role of HCV in musculoskeletal disorders associated with chronic hepatitis C. J. Med. Virol. 79:1818–1820, 2007. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.