Is replication of hepatitis C virus a marker of activity of infectious process? (Findings of polymerase chain reaction and morphological analysis of liver biopsy specimens).

Comparative study of replication markers of hepatitis C virus in various biological substrates and evaluation of activity of chronic HCV infection in liver biopsy specimens showed that replication of hepatitis C virus and the number of HCV-infected hepatocytes did not promote liver damage in chronic hepatitis C. These findings indicate that the expression of antiviral reactions by liver parenchyma cells plays the key role in the morphogenesis of HCV infection.

Immunohistochemical, molecular, and pathomorphological study of liver biopsy specimens during chronic hepatitis C.

We carried out a comparative study of replication markers of hepatitis C virus (HCV RNA) in some biological substrates and NS3-antigen in liver biopsy specimens. It was found that 82% liver specimens contained RNA HCV, in 44% cases HCV RNA was present in the serum, mononuclear blood cells, and liver. The presence of NS3-antigen in hepatocytes can be considered as a structural marker of HCV replication, which is confirmed by positive correlation with the results of PCR for viral RNA in tissue specimens.