Time course of hepatitis A viremia and viral load in the blood of human hepatitis A patients.

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common etiological cause of acute hepatitis infections in humans in industrialized countries. Investigations into the viral load during HAV viremia, however, are rare. Therefore, correlation studies between viral load, biochemical, and specific serological markers have been undertaken. The group of sera comprised a series of multiple consecutive blood samples drawn from 11 patients at different times after onset of the disease. During the period up to 70 days after the onset of icterus, the individual range was at 1 x 10(3) to 3 x 10(4) HAV genome equivalents/ml. From day 75 until 120 after onset of the disease, the levels traced were at 10(3). In one case, it was possible to trace 1.25 x 10(4) genome equivalents/ml up to 180 days after onset of icterus and in two cases even up to 408 and 490 days viral load levels of 5 x 10(3) and 4 x 10(4) were detected, respectively. The same sera were used to measure IgM class antibodies to hepatitis A virus and the total anti-HAV. The results demonstrate that a direct correlation to peak levels of viral load exists with peak serum transaminase levels, but neither with peak anti-HAV IgM levels nor with total anti-HAV. Decreasing amounts of anti-HAV IgM tend to occur with decreasing amounts of HAV genome equivalents; and, vice versa, increasing amounts of total anti-HAV are accompanied by decreasing amounts of HAV genome equivalents. The longest duration of viremia was found in patients infected with HAV genotype IA. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.