BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evaluation of serum levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is important for predicting the response to interferon treatment and monitoring its therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a method for the measurement of HCV-RNA. METHODS: The subjects were 50 patients with chronic hepatitis C: 36 with genotype 1b, eight with genotype 2a, and six with genotype 2b. Samples were tested for HCV-RNA by using real-time quantitative PCR with the ABI Prism 7700 sequence detection system, a branched DNA signal amplification assay, and an Amplicor monitor test; and for HCV core protein by using a fluorescent enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The detection range of the real-time quantitative PCR was between 10(1)-10(8) copies/mL of HCV-RNA. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detectable in all 50 samples by the use of real-time quantitative PCR, but was undetectable in 14 samples by the use of a branched DNA assay and in two samples by using the Amplicor monitor test; HCV core protein was undetectable in three samples. A significant correlation was found between the results of real-time quantitative PCR and those of the three other assays: branched DNA assay (r = 0.837, P < 0.0001), Amplicor monitor test (r = 0.853, P < 0.0001), and HCV core protein concentrations (r = 0.549, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the real-time quantitative PCR was a highly sensitive assay for the measurement of HCV-RNA.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evaluation of serum levels of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is important for predicting the response to interferon treatment and monitoring its therapeutic efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a method for the measurement of HCV-RNA. METHODS: The subjects were 50 patients with chronic hepatitis C: 36 with genotype 1b, eight with genotype 2a, and six with genotype 2b. Samples were tested for HCV-RNA by using real-time quantitative PCR with the ABI Prism 7700 sequence detection system, a branched DNA signal amplification assay, and an Amplicor monitor test; and for HCV core protein by using a fluorescent enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: The detection range of the real-time quantitative PCR was between 10(1)-10(8) copies/mL of HCV-RNA. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detectable in all 50 samples by the use of real-time quantitative PCR, but was undetectable in 14 samples by the use of a branched DNA assay and in two samples by using the Amplicor monitor test; HCV core protein was undetectable in three samples. A significant correlation was found between the results of real-time quantitative PCR and those of the three other assays: branched DNA assay (r = 0.837, P < 0.0001), Amplicor monitor test (r = 0.853, P < 0.0001), and HCV core protein concentrations (r = 0.549, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the real-time quantitative PCR was a highly sensitive assay for the measurement of HCV-RNA.
Authors: M J Espy; J R Uhl; L M Sloan; S P Buckwalter; M F Jones; E A Vetter; J D C Yao; N L Wengenack; J E Rosenblatt; F R Cockerill; T F Smith Journal: Clin Microbiol Rev Date: 2006-01 Impact factor: 26.132
Authors: Jeffrey J Germer; W Scott Harmsen; Jayawant N Mandrekar; P Shawn Mitchell; Joseph D C Yao Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2005-01 Impact factor: 5.948