Correlation of plasma hepatitis C virus RNA levels with serum alanine aminotransferase in non-A, non-B chronic liver disease

✍ Scribed by Masayuki Kurosaki; Nobuyuki Enomoto; Chifumi Sato; Naoya Sakamoto; Yuji Hoshino; Hideaki Haritani; Fumiaki Marumo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 554 KB
• Volume: 39
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.1890390313

✦ Synopsis

The relationship between plasma hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels, antibody positivity, and hepatocellular damage were studied i n 41 patients with non-A, non-B chronic liver disease. The patients were placed into t w o groups according to the plasma levels of HCV-RNA: plasma HCV-RNA level was estimated as high when detected by a one stage polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and as low when detectable only after a two stage PCR. Anti-HCV (first and second generation assays) and anti-GOR were also measured. The mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of the high HCV-RNA group was 11 5 2 62 IUA, whereas that of the low HCV-RNA group was 59 * 37 IUA (P < 0.05). Patients with ALT levels above 100 lUil had invariably a high level of HCV-RNA. There were no differences in clinical features in relation to the presence of anti-GOR or anti-HCV. Circulating HCV-RNA levels but not anti-HCV or anti-GOR antibodies correlated with hepatocellular damage.