Le. Adinolfi et al., HCV RNA LEVELS IN SERUM, LIVER, AND PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO LIVER-INJURY, The American journal of gastroenterology, 93(11), 1998, pp. 2162-2166
Objective: We sought to evaluate the relationship between HCV RNA leve
ls in serum, liver, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and
the degree of liver injury in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Meth
ods: Thirty-six consecutive CHC patients were included in the study. T
he liver damage was evaluated by the histological activity index (HAI)
score. The HCV RNA levels in the three compartments studied were asse
ssed by bDNA assay. Nineteen patients were treated with a-interferon 2
b (IFN). Results: Serum and liver HCV RNA levels in CHC patients were
significantly associated with an increasing HAI score irrespective of
the HCV genotypes. Cirrhotic patients showed higher HCV RNA levels tha
n the CHC patients with HAI score 1-4 (p < 0.05), but had lower levels
than the group with HAI score > 8 (p < 0.03). Patients with HAI score
1-4 showed the lowest levels of HCV RNA in PBMC. There was a strong r
elation (r = 0.78; p < 0.001) between serum and liver HCV RNA levels,
but not between either serum or liver HCV RNA levels and those of PBMC
, Seven patients showed a response to IFN and three of these had a sus
tained response. Pretreatment levels of HCV RNA in PBMC of the IFN res
ponder patients were lower than those of the nonresponder patients (p
< 0.02). Conclusions: The data indicate a relation between serum or li
ver HCV RNA levels and the degree of liver injury in CHC patients, and
show that serum HCV RNA level mirrors the hepatic viral burden. (C) 1
998 by Am. Cell. of Gastroenterology.