Elsevier

Journal of Hepatology

Volume 15, Issue 3, July 1992, Pages 382-386
Journal of Hepatology

Rapid publication
Infection of peripheral mononuclear blood cells by hepatitis C virus

https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-8278(92)90073-XGet rights and content

Abstract

We investigated the infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) by hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 5 patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis. The presence of HCV-RNA-positive and -negative strands was tested with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. In all subjects, HCV-RNA was shown in PBMNC. In 3 cases, HCV-RNA was shown in the T-and B-cell populations, with viral RNA also present in the monocyte-macrophage fraction of two of these. HCV-RNA-negative stranded molecules, indicative of the viral multiplication, were significantly increased in cells maintained in cultures with PHA/PMA stimulation. The results indicate that HCV infect blood mononuclear cells, thus suggesting that this cellular tropism may play a role in HCV infection

References (12)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (446)

  • Advances in HCV and Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis in the Era of DAAs: Are We at the End of the Road?

    2018, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
    Citation Excerpt :

    Despite extensive investigation, the exact mechanisms are not clearly understood. HCV is recognized to be lymphotropic and its replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be etiologically implicated in HCV-related lymphoproliferative and immunological disorders.2,3 Several studies have highlighted the importance of sustained antigenic stimulation in promoting B-cell clonal proliferation.

  • Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Older Patient

    2017, Infectious Disease Clinics of North America
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text