Clinical Articles
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1996. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 25, 1996; 2(2): 115-117
Published online Jun 25, 1996. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v2.i2.115
Relation between viremia level and liver disease in patients with chronic HCV infection
Shu-Lin Zhang, Xue-Song Liang, Shu-Mei Lin, Peng-Chao Qiu
Shu-Lin Zhang, Professor of Internal Medicine, having 36 papers published
Shu-Lin Zhang, Xue-Song Liang, Shu-Mei Lin, Peng-Chao Qiu, Department of Infectious Disease, First Clinical College, Xi’an Medical University, Xi′an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Shu-Lin Zhang, Professor, Department of Infectious Disease, First Clinical College, Xi’an Medical University, Xi′an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China
Telephone: +86-29-8214309
Received: May 5, 1996
Revised: May 18, 1996
Accepted: June 10, 1996
Published online: June 25, 1996
Abstract

AIM: To explore the relation between level of hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia and HCV-related chronic liver disease.

METHODS: Serum HCV RNA was measured by competitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (CRT-PCR) in 27 patients with chronic HCV infection.

RESULTS: Levels of serum HCV RNA were low (102-106 copies/50 μL serum) in patients with chronic HCV infection. Patients with chronic active hepatitis (105.739 ± 0.25 copies/50 μL serum) and with cirrhosis (105.803 ± 0.76 copies/50 μL serum) had higher levels of serum HCV RNA than patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (105.068 ± 1.04 copies/50 μL serum) (P < 0.05). There was a positive relation between levels of serum HCV RNA and alanine aminotransferase.

CONCLUSION: All of these results suggest that viremia level is low in chronic HCV infection. HCV itself plays an important role in progress of chronic liver disease, and HCV replication is related to liver damage.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus; RNA, viral; Polymerase chain reaction; Hepatitis C