Prevalence of occult hepatitis C virus infection in Iranian patients with lymphoproliferative disorders.

Occult HCV infection is a form of chronic HCV infection characterized by absence of detectable anti-HCV antibodies or plasma HCV-RNA but presence of HCV-RNA in liver biopsy and/or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The aim of this study was to determine the presence of HCV-RNA in PBMCs of patients with lymphoproliferative disorders. One hundred and four consecutive patients with lymphoproliferative disorders admitted to Firouzgar Hospital from January 2010 to March 2011 were recruited in this cross-sectional study. A 6-ml sample of whole blood was taken from the patients, the total RNA was extracted from the samples after the separation of plasma and PBMCs. The HCV-RNA of the samples was amplified by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR). The HCV genotypes of the positive samples were tested using the INNO-LiPA™ HCV II kit, and the HCV genotypes were then confirmed by sequencing of the 5'-UTR fragments after the PCR products were cloned into a pJET1.2/blunt cloning vector. The mean age of the patients was 48.3 ± 1.76 years (range: 16-83). HCV-RNA was found in PBMCs from 2 (1.9%) of the 104 patients. Genotyping showed that the patients were infected with HCV subtype 1a. One patient suffered non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the other suffered chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Patients with lymphoproliferative disorders with negative anti-HCV antibodies and negative plasma HCV-RNA may have occult HCV infection. Therefore, in the absence of a liver biopsy, the testing of PBMCs for the detection of genomic HCV-RNA may be beneficial.