The detection of negative-strand hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is a hallmark of replication. A highly sensitive and specific method is required to quantify the very low level of replication inherent to in vitro infection systems. Based on reverse transcription with a tagged primer in the 5' non-coding region of the HCV genome, followed by a nested PCR with a second round of real-time PCR, a novel method is described with improved sensitivity for negative-strand HCV RNA quantification. The lower detection level was 25 copies per reaction of negative-strand HCV RNA, even in the presence of 1 x 10(5) copies of positive-strand HCV RNA. This protocol was applied to the detection of negative HCV strand RNA in the liver of HCV-infected patients as well as in primary human hepatocytes infected in vitro. In both models, and particularly in each of three, independent in vitro infection experiments, this assay permitted the quantitation of HCV replication.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.20773 | DOI Listing |
Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi
December 2024
Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100071, China.
Objective: To establish a method for preserving viral nucleic acids in plasma using a blood collection card based on the dry spot method, to predict the duration of nucleic acid preservation by establishing the Arrhenius equation, and to demonstrate the feasibility of this preservation method for the re-testing of nucleic acids in blood samples retained by blood banks.
Methods: Plasma samples positive for HBV, HCV, and HIV nucleic acids were prepared into preservation cards in the form of dry plasma spots for storage. The prepared preservation cards were placed under accelerated storage conditions at 37, 45, 50, and 55 ℃.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Bioinformatics Laboratory, College of Computing, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Ben Guerir, Morocco.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) presents a significant global health issue due to its widespread prevalence and the absence of a reliable vaccine for prevention. While significant progress has been achieved in therapeutic interventions since the disease was first identified, its resurgence underscores the need for innovative strategies to combat it. The nonstructural protein NS5A is crucial in the life cycle of the HCV, serving as a significant factor in both viral replication and assembly processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Virus Erad
December 2024
Center of Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) represents a significant advancement, offering hope for eliminating the virus in diverse patient populations. But real-world data on its effectiveness and safety remains scarce for patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in China, especially those with HCV GT3b, cirrhosis, hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC), or HCV/hepatitis B (HBV), HCV/HIV, or HCV/HBV/HIV coinfection.
Methods: In this real-world prospective observational study, we recruited patients from the West China Hospital and Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu in China.
AIDS Res Ther
December 2024
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Malattie Infettive, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome, 00168, Italia.
Background: Oxidative stress (OS) is the imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant molecules, in favour of oxidants, that has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in ART-treated people living with HIV (PLWH). We aimed to assess factors associated with OS in virologically suppressed PLWH on long-term modern ART.
Method: In this cross-sectional study we evaluated OS by measuring both the levels of derivatives-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and the biological antioxidant potential (BAP).
J Gastrointestin Liver Dis
December 2024
Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation Center, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
Background And Aims: Pan-genotypic ribavirin-free oral direct-acting antivirals, including the glecaprevir/pibrentasvir combination, are recommended for the treatment of most patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In Romania, the HCV-infected patient population receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is not well characterized and data on treatment effectiveness is lacking. The ODYSSEY study aimed to provide insights into the characteristics and treatment outcomes of HCV-infected Romanian patients receiving 8-week therapy with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir.
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