Absence of hepatitis C genome in semen of infected men by polymerase chain reaction, branched DNA and in situ hybridization.

Background/aims: The presence or absence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in the semen of infected man remains controversial, mainly due to technical difficulties associated with nucleic acid detection. The aims of this study were to assess the presence of HCV RNA in spermatozoa and in seminal fluid using different polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- and non-PCR-dependent methods and, in the case of HCV presence, to correlate this detection with the viraemia.

Methods: Serum and semen from 25 chronically infected hepatitis C patients were studied.