Shindo M, Arai K, Sokawa Y, Okuno T
Department of Internal Medicine, Akashi Municipal Hospital, Hyogo, Japan.
Hepatology. 1995 Aug;22(2):418-25.
We investigated anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) titers, HCV RNA levels in liver and serum, genetic variability in the hypervariable region of the genome, the form of the virus in the circulation, and liver histology in 21 anti-HCV-positive subjects with sustained normal liver biochemical values. Titer of anti-HCV was determined by second generation anti-HCV-passive hemagglutination assay, and HCV RNA levels were semiquantitated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In 19 (90%) of the 21 subjects who had a higher titer of anti-HCV (> or = 2(14)), HCV RNA was detected in both serum and liver, and histological examination showed minimal or mild chronic hepatitis in all. In the remaining 2 patients who had a lower titer of anti-HCV, HCV RNA was not detected in serum and liver, and liver histology was normal. Anti-HCV titers and HCV RNA levels in serum and liver in the 19 HCV RNA-positive subjects were compared with those levels in the 41 patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C and elevated serum aminotransferase levels as a control group. There were no significant differences in viral levels in serum and liver between the two groups. To further investigate virological differences between the two groups with regard to degree of genetic variability and the form in the circulation, we performed the PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) of the hypervariable region 1 and the immunoprecipitation analyses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
我们对21名抗丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）阳性且肝脏生化指标持续正常的受试者进行了研究，检测其抗HCV滴度、肝脏和血清中的HCV RNA水平、基因组高变区的基因变异性、循环中病毒的形态以及肝脏组织学情况。抗HCV滴度通过第二代抗HCV被动血凝试验测定，HCV RNA水平通过逆转录聚合酶链反应（PCR）进行半定量分析。在21名抗HCV滴度较高（≥2(14)）的受试者中，有19名（90%）血清和肝脏中均检测到HCV RNA，组织学检查显示均为轻度或中度慢性肝炎。其余2名抗HCV滴度较低的患者，血清和肝脏中未检测到HCV RNA，肝脏组织学正常。将19名HCV RNA阳性受试者的血清和肝脏中的抗HCV滴度及HCV RNA水平与41名经活检证实为慢性丙型肝炎且血清转氨酶水平升高的患者作为对照组进行比较。两组血清和肝脏中的病毒水平无显著差异。为进一步研究两组在基因变异性程度和循环形态方面的病毒学差异，我们进行了高变区1的PCR单链构象多态性（PCR-SSCP）分析和免疫沉淀分析。（摘要截断于250字）
