HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-RNA IN PLASMA AND BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C TREATED WITH ALPHA-INTERFERON

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a positive stranded RNA virus, is the main ca usative agent of post-transfusion and sporadic non-A non-B hepatitis w orldwide. Paired samples of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear ce lls (PBMC) from 11 patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with alph a-interferon (IFN) were tested, using a single step polymerase chain r eaction (PCR), for the presence of HCV RNA. Before treatment, the vira l genome was detected in all the plasma samples and 81.8% of PBMC. Aft er 3 months of treatment, HCV RNA was still present in 63.6% of plasma samples but in only 27.3% of PBMC. A good correlation was observed be tween serum alanine aminotransferase level normalisation and disappear ance of the viral genome in plasma. Among the six responder patients, five relapsed shortly after IFN withdrawal; HCV RNA became detect able again, especially in PBMC. These results show the presence of HCV in PBMC from most patients infected chronically. IFN therapy had an inhib itory effect on viral replication in lymphoid cells, but frequent rela pses observed after cessation of treatment with IFN suggested persiste nce of HCV in these cells. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.