Comparison of HCV Plus-and Minus-Strand RNA in PBMCs of Responders and non-Responders of Chronically Infected Patients Receiving Ribavirin and Interferon Therapy

Background and Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a significant proportion (≈ 20 %) of individuals with chronic HCV infection (CHC). Currently, CHC is treated with peginterferon and ribavirin, which depending on genotype approximately 50 to 70% of patients are cured. The so-called “extrahepatic HCV infection” or viral replication in regions of the body other than liver, e.g. peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs), is likely to contribute to the lack of response to treatment in non-responders. In this study, HCV infection of PBMCs was compared between responders- and non-responders HCV-infected patients. Materials and Methods: RT-nested PCR was utilized to detect the plus- and minus- strands of HCV RNA in PBMCs using type-specific primers specific for the HCV core region. Results: Both the plus- and the minus strands of HCV genome were significantly lower in PBMCs of responder- than non-responder patients. Conclusion: The presence of both plus and minus HCV strands in PBMCs was associated with the treatment outcome, such that HCV infection of PBMCs was identified in higher proportion of non-responders relative to responders.