DETECTION OF HEPATITIS-G VIRUS-REPLICATION SITES BY USING HIGHLY STRAND-SPECIFIC TTH-BASED REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE PCR

The replication sites of the recently discovered hepatitis G virus (HG V) remain unknown. Using highly strand-specific Tth-based reverse tran scriptase PCR, we searched for the presence of viral RNA negative stra nd in multiple autopsy tissues from four patients with AIDS and in per ipheral blood mononuclear cells from six other human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients, Negative-strand HGV RNA was detected in three of four bone marrow samples, in two of two spleen samples, and in one of four liver tissue samples. However, the specific cellular site of replication within the positive tissues was not determined. This study does not support HGV as a primary hepatotropic virus.