[The rate of HCV-RNA detection in the serum, saliva, and tissue of the minor salivary glands in chronic hepatitis C with Sjogren's syndrome].

The trial enrolled 38 patients with chronic HCV-infection and Sjogren's syndrome (mean age 44.3 +/- 13.7 years). Biopsy of the minor salivary glands (MSG) was made in 20 patients. Polymerase chain reaction was used to study 20 MSG biopsies, 38 samples of native saliva for HCV-RNA. Saliva samples were also studied for Herpes virus DNA (EBV, CMV, HHV-VI type). All the patients with VHC appeared to have signs of xerostomia, 24 (63.2%) patients had xerophthalmia. MSG pathohistological changes were found in 19 (95%) patients. In the majority of cases (86.9%) they were characterized by mild infiltration and advanced fibrosis. HCV-RNA was found in the saliva of 23 (57.5%) patients, in MSG tissue--in 9 (39.1%) patients. HCV-RNA detection in the saliva did not depend on the degree of viremia, viral RNA in MSG correlated with viral load. EBV and HHV-VI, HHV-VI only and EBV were detected only in 7 (18.4%), 10 (26.3%) and 6 (15.8%) patients, respectively. Xerostomia occurred with the same rate (26.1 and 31.3%) in patients with and without herpes viruses in the saliva. Detection rate for HCV-RNA in the saliva was not related with viremia degree. Sjogren's disease symptoms in CHC patients did not depend on the presence or absence of DNA of herpes viruses in the saliva.