Schlauder G G, Leverenz G J, Mattsson L, Weiland O, Mushahwar I K
Experimental Biology Research, Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL.
J Virol Methods. 1992 May;37(2):189-99. doi: 10.1016/0166-0934(92)90046-g.
Serial serum samples from cardiac patients with a history of chronic or resolved post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis were analyzed by a combination of cDNA synthesis and the polymerase chain reaction (cDNA/PCR) to amplify HCV RNA. Analysis of sera drawn after the acute hepatitis episode from 8 of the patients who had an acute, resolving HCV infection showed no detectable levels of HCV RNA when primers from the NS3 region were used. Evaluation of these sera with primers from the 5'-untranslated (5'-UT) region revealed that one patient was positive for HCV RNA. Further analysis of serial serum samples available from two of these patients indicated that a resolved infection was associated with a disappearance of detectable HCV RNA after a peak level during the acute phase of the disease. In contrast, post-acute samples from 4 of 6 patients with symptomatic acute HCV infection evolving to chronicity were positive for HCV RNA using primers from the NS3 region, however, upon retesting with primers from the 5'-UT region, all 6 patients were found to be positive. Analysis of serial serum samples from 2 of these patients showed the persistence of HCV RNA in 70% of the samples. These two patients were subsequently treated with interferon alpha-2b. One patient resolved his disease and normalized his aminotransferase level during treatment and thereafter, while the other relapsed upon cessation of treatment. In these two patients, normalization of ALT levels was consistent with the absence of HCV RNA while relapse of disease was confirmed by the reappearance of detectable levels of HCV RNA. These results indicate the utility of HCV RNA as a marker for persisting HCV viremia and in differentiating patients with ongoing active HCV infection from those with an acute resolving disease.
采用cDNA合成和聚合酶链反应（cDNA/PCR）相结合的方法，对有慢性或已愈的输血后非甲非乙型肝炎病史的心脏病患者的系列血清样本进行分析，以扩增丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）RNA。对8例急性、正在恢复的HCV感染患者急性肝炎发作后采集的血清进行分析，当使用NS3区域的引物时，未检测到HCV RNA水平。用5'-非编码区（5'-UT）的引物对这些血清进行评估，发现1例患者HCV RNA呈阳性。对其中2例患者可获得的系列血清样本进行进一步分析表明，已愈感染与疾病急性期达到峰值水平后可检测到的HCV RNA消失有关。相比之下，6例有症状的急性HCV感染发展为慢性的患者中，4例急性发作后的样本使用NS3区域的引物检测HCV RNA呈阳性，然而，用5'-UT区域的引物重新检测时，发现所有6例患者均呈阳性。对其中2例患者的系列血清样本进行分析，结果显示70%的样本中HCV RNA持续存在。这2例患者随后接受了α-2b干扰素治疗。1例患者在治疗期间及之后病情缓解，转氨酶水平恢复正常，而另1例患者在治疗停止后复发。在这2例患者中，ALT水平恢复正常与HCV RNA消失一致，而疾病复发则通过可检测到的HCV RNA再次出现得到证实。这些结果表明，HCV RNA可作为持续HCV病毒血症的标志物，用于区分持续活跃的HCV感染患者和急性已愈疾病患者。
