Molecular diagnosis of occult hepatitis C virus infection in Iranian injection drug users

Sheikh, Maryam; Bokharaei‐Salim, Farah; Monavari, Seyed Hamidreza; Ataei‐Pirkooh, Angila; Esghaei, Maryam; Moradi, Najmeh; Babaei, Roghayeh; Fakhim, Atousa; Keyvani, Hossein

doi:10.1007/s00705-018-4066-5

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Residual HCV-RNA has been detected in populations free of markers of ongoing HCV infection and previous exposure to the virus. Persisting HCV was found in high-risk groups such as injection drug users-9.6-18.2% [77,78], patients with beta-thalassemia major-3.3-6.3% [38,79], hemodialysis patients-4.8-45% [80,81], or infectious liver disease-free subjects undergoing phlebotomy-1.27% [82]. A recent meta-analysis of studies on populations from the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean countries estimated the pooled rate of OCI in patients diagnosed with cryptogenic liver disease to be 20.8% [83].…”

Section: Epidemiological Significance Of Ocimentioning

confidence: 99%

Occult Infection with Hepatitis C Virus: Looking for Clear-Cut Boundaries and Methodological Consensus

Wróblewska

Bielawski

Sikorska

2021

JCM

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The sustained virologic response and elimination of HCV is widely viewed as a true cure of chronic hepatitis C as it associates with amelioration of histological liver damage and improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, the existence and clinical burden of occult HCV infection (OCI) has been a controversial issue for many years. In this review, we summarize recently published data that adds new information on the molecular and clinical background of OCI and its epidemiological significance. We also identify and discuss the most important methodological pitfalls, which can be a source of inconsistency between studies. Data that have accumulated so far, strongly support the existence of extrahepatic HCV replication in individuals negative for serum HCV-RNA by conventional clinical tests. OCI emerges as a condition where the immune system is unable to fully resolve infection but it is continuously stimulated by low levels of HCV antigens, leading to progression of liver pathology and extrahepatic HCV-related complications. Moreover, the development of monitoring strategies or management guidelines for OCI is still hampered by the lack of clear definition and the confusion regarding its clinical significance. Careful study design and the introduction of uniform protocols for the detection of low-level HCV-RNA are crucial for obtaining reliable data on OCI.

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Section: Epidemiological Significance Of Ocimentioning

confidence: 99%

Occult Infection with Hepatitis C Virus: Looking for Clear-Cut Boundaries and Methodological Consensus

Wróblewska

Bielawski

Sikorska

2021

JCM

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“…5 OCI has been described in patients with chronic liver disease, coinfections, comorbidities and in population with risk factors, such as, in patients infected with hepatitis B virus or human immunodeficiency virus, with tattoos, drugs users, and apparently in healthy population. [6][7][8][9][10][11] The primary goal of HCV therapy is to cure the infection, i.e. to achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) defined as undetectable HCV-RNA in serum after treatment completion, and the use of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) markedly improved the SVR rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occult hepatitis C infection: viruses with infectious potential in Huh7.5 and MDBK cell lines suggest HCV/OCI transmission

Silva¹,

Marques²,

Osório³

et al. 2023

PPIJ

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“…In recent years, Direct-acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs) have been approved for treating HCV. These drugs can achieve HCV clearance in up to 98% of cases with a favorable clinical impact on hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations (3,4). Yet, an estimated 1.5 -2 million new HCV infections occur globally each year (5).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Vitro Replication of HCV RNA in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Isolated from Patients Undergoing Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection

et al. 2020

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Background: Although the liver is the main site for the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) replication, there is still an essential debate about extrahepatic HCV reservoirs. Objectives: It has been proposed that Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) could be the possible virus replication sites. Therefore, PBMCs may be candidates for recurrent HCV infection after achieving Sustained Virologic Response (SVR). In this study, we designed a lymphocyte culture to explore more about virus replication in PBMCs collected from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Plasma and PBMC samples were collected from 16 randomly selected seropositive patients for the anti-HCV antibody. Four out of 16 (25%) patients received combination therapy with alpha interferon and ribavirin. PBMCs were isolated from whole blood. Between 106-107 cells were cultured with optimized concentrations of IL-2 (10 mg/ml) and phytohemagglutinin A (5 mg/ml). Total RNA was extracted from the first collected sera and harvested lymphocytes. Constructed plasmids containing the NCR coding region were used to plot the standard curve for the relative quantification of SYBR green real-time PCR. The sensitivity and specificity of the detection were established by using plasmids containing cDNA. Results: With this plasmid containing the NCR coding region, the Limit of Detection (LOD) of in-house-developed real-time RT-PCR sensitivity was 2×101 copies. Using primers for the NCR region, 10 out of 16 (62.5 %) PBMCs were positive for negative-strand HCV RNA. Among the four samples collected from patients with SVR, negative-strand HCV RNA was found in two patient samples. Conclusions: Our results indicated that cultured lymphoid cells from patients with chronic hepatitis, even with SVR, in the presence of IL-2 and PHA, markedly enhanced the detection of HCV RNA replica-tive strands. Therefore, PBMCs may be reservoirs for recurrent hepatitis infection after SVR and antiviral treatment. However, more clinical samples and control groups (lymphocyte culture without mitogen) should be examined to support the data presented in this study.

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Molecular diagnosis of occult hepatitis C virus infection in Iranian injection drug users

Cited by 7 publications

References 51 publications

Occult Infection with Hepatitis C Virus: Looking for Clear-Cut Boundaries and Methodological Consensus

Occult Infection with Hepatitis C Virus: Looking for Clear-Cut Boundaries and Methodological Consensus

Occult hepatitis C infection: viruses with infectious potential in Huh7.5 and MDBK cell lines suggest HCV/OCI transmission

In Vitro Replication of HCV RNA in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Isolated from Patients Undergoing Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection

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