BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) often have extrahepatic manifestations, which significantly contribute to HCV-related morbidity, but whose pathogenesis is largely unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the HCV replication in oral mucosa of chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS: We collected oral mucosa specimens from 17 anti-HCV-positive and four anti-HCV-negative patients. Fifteen had oral lichen (12 anti-HCV-positive). Total mucosa RNA was extracted and analyzed for presence and titer of genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA. Findings were compared with clinical and pathological features. RESULTS: Genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA were detected, respectively, in 12 of 17 (70.6\%) and four of 17 (23.5\%) specimens from the chronic hepatitis C patients. No negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in five anti-HCV-positive patients without lichen (including three with normal mucosa). Presence and titer of the negative-strand HCV RNA were independent of HCV genotype, serum viral load, and histological diagnosis of liver lesions. The phylogenetic analysis of the envelope 2 region cloned from a normal mucosa and the corresponding serum further suggested that only lichen tissues appear to harbor replicating HCV. CONCLUSIONS: HCV may occasionally replicate in oral lichen tissue, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of mucosa damage.
Titolo: | Molecular evidence that the hepatitis C virus replicates in the oral mucosa. |
Autori Riconosciuti: | |
Autori: | M. Carrozzo;R. Quadri;P. Latorre;M. Pentenero;S. Paganin;G. Bertolusso;S. Gandolfo;F. Negro |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2002 |
Abstract: | BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) often have extrahepatic manifestations, which significantly contribute to HCV-related morbidity, but whose pathogenesis is largely unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the HCV replication in oral mucosa of chronic hepatitis C patients. METHODS: We collected oral mucosa specimens from 17 anti-HCV-positive and four anti-HCV-negative patients. Fifteen had oral lichen (12 anti-HCV-positive). Total mucosa RNA was extracted and analyzed for presence and titer of genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA. Findings were compared with clinical and pathological features. RESULTS: Genomic and negative-strand HCV RNA were detected, respectively, in 12 of 17 (70.6\%) and four of 17 (23.5\%) specimens from the chronic hepatitis C patients. No negative-strand HCV RNA was detected in five anti-HCV-positive patients without lichen (including three with normal mucosa). Presence and titer of the negative-strand HCV RNA were independent of HCV genotype, serum viral load, and histological diagnosis of liver lesions. The phylogenetic analysis of the envelope 2 region cloned from a normal mucosa and the corresponding serum further suggested that only lichen tissues appear to harbor replicating HCV. CONCLUSIONS: HCV may occasionally replicate in oral lichen tissue, possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of mucosa damage. |
Volume: | 37 |
Pagina iniziale: | 364 |
Pagina finale: | 369 |
Anno del convegno: | 2002-Sep |
Parole Chiave: | Adult; Aged; Female; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Chronic; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa; Phylogeny; RNA; Viral; Virus Replication |
Rivista: | JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 03A-Articolo su Rivista |