Viral Hepatitis
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2005; 11(39): 6130-6133
Published online Oct 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i39.6130
Specific ssDNA concentration in liver tissue as an index of apoptosis in hepatitis C virus-infected patients
Tadeusz Wojciech Lapiński, Anatol Panasiuk, Jerzy Jaroszewicz, Oksana Kowalczuk, Robert Flisiak, Magdalena Rogalska
Tadeusz Wojciech Lapiński, Anatol Panasiuk, Jerzy Jaroszewicz, Robert Flisiak, Magdalena Rogalska, Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
Oksana Kowalczuk, Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Tadeusz Wojciech Lapiński, MD, Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok 15-540, Zurawia str, 14, Poland. twlapinski@wp.pl
Telephone: +48-85-741-69-21
Received: January 19, 2005
Revised: February 15, 2005
Accepted: February 18, 2005
Published online: October 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the activity of apoptosis in liver tissue and explore its possible association with hepatic necroinflam-mation and fibrosis as well as serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) load.

METHODS: The studied population included 50 chronic hepatitis C patients (20 women and 30 men, aged 18-66 years). HCV-RNA quantification was performed by two-step real-time quantitative RT-PCR method using the TaqMan technology (reagents of Applera Corporation firm, USA). The morphology of liver tissue was assessed descriptively and scored (necroinflammatory activity and fibrosis). The early apoptosis activity in liver tissue was examined by ssDNA apoptosis ELISA kit, (Chemicon, Germany).

RESULTS: The correlation between apoptosis and fibrosis in liver tissue was observed. High intensification of apoptosis was proportional to the increase of fibrosis (ssDNA: 16.65×10-5 mg/g; 12.71×10-5 mg/g), however, this difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Activity of apoptosis in the liver tissue, expressed by ssDNA concentration did not depend on hepatic necroinflammatory changes, HCV-RNA viral load, ALT, and AST activity as well as prothrombin time and INR index.

CONCLUSION: Fibrosis in the tissue is closely associated with early apoptosis in HCV-infected patients.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Hepatitis C virus; ssDNA; Fibrosis