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Long‐term virological follow up of patients with occult hepatitis C virus infection
Author(s) -
Castillo Inmaculada,
Bartolomé Javier,
Quiroga Juan A.,
Barril Guillermina,
Carreño Vicente
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
liver international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.873
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1478-3231
pISSN - 1478-3223
DOI - 10.1111/j.1478-3231.2011.02613.x
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , occult , hepatitis c virus , medicine , rna , virology , hepatitis c , immunology , ursodeoxycholic acid , viral disease , virus , gastroenterology , biology , pathology , in vitro , biochemistry , alternative medicine , gene
Background Patients with occult hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) infection ( HCV ‐ RNA in liver without detectable anti‐ HCV and serum HCV ‐ RNA ) may have viral RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC s) and in serum after ultracentrifugation, and may present HCV ‐specific T‐cell responses, but it is unknown whether these markers persist to be detectable over time. Aim To perform a prospective virological long‐term follow up of patients with occult HCV . Methods Viral markers were tested every 3–4 months during 55.7 ± 20.3 months in 37 patients with occult HCV who were under ursodeoxycholic acid treatment. Results Viral RNA was detectable in PBMC s of 31 patients during the follow up. In 23 of them, viral RNA in PBMC s was detected intermittently and in the other eight patients HCV ‐ RNA was positive in a single sample. After ultracentrifugation, serum HCV ‐ RNA was detected in 33 patients, being the viraemia intermittently detectable in 28, whereas in the remaining five patients, serum HCV ‐ RNA was positive only once. Only one patient tested always HCV ‐ RNA negative in PBMC s and in ultracentrifuged serum during follow up. Specific Core, NS 3, and/or NS 4 T‐cell responses were found in 31 of the patients. The patient who was always HCV ‐ RNA negative in PBMC s and in ultracentrifuged serum had specific HCV ‐T‐cell responses. Conclusions Occult HCV infection persists over time with fluctuating viraemia levels that induce and maintain specific T‐cell responses against viral proteins.