Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare two manual isolation and real-time (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits (RTA RT-PCR with RTA isolation kit and Artus RG RT-PCR with QIAamp isolation kit) for molecular diagnosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.
Methodology: The study was conducted on 121 and 54 clinical samples for the detection of HBV DNA and HCV RNA, respectively, with an additional 8 HCV RNA external quality control samples.
Results: Though a high correlation was observed between the two kits for the HBV DNA (r = 0.955, p = 0.001) and HCV RNA quantifications (r = 0.828, p = 0.001), discordant results were found in nine of the HBV DNA and in six of the HCV RNA samples. The mean difference between the two systems was found to be 0.4 log IU/mL in Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD) HCV RNA samples by Bland-Altman analysis.
Conclusions: Although there was a high correlation between HBV DNA and HCV RNA tests according to the results of the study, the RTA system requires improvement for the determination of HCV RNA.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3855/jidc.8363 | DOI Listing |
Viruses
December 2024
Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
Background: Point-of-care hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing streamlines testing and treatment pathways. In this study, we established an HCV model of care in a homelessness service by offering antibody and RNA point-of-care testing.
Methods: A nurse and peer-led HCV model of care with peer support were implemented between November 2021 and April 2022 at a homelessness service in Adelaide, Australia.
Viruses
November 2024
Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Section Virus-Host Interactions, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
The study of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in cell culture is mainly based on cloned viral isolates requiring adaptation for efficient replication in Huh7 hepatoma cells. The analysis of wild-type (WT) isolates was enabled by the expression of SEC14L2 and by inhibitors targeting deleterious host factors. Here, we aimed to optimize cell culture models to allow infection with HCV from patient sera.
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November 2024
Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a global health concern, can lead to chronic liver disease. The HCV core antigen (HCVcAg), a viral protein essential for replication, offers a cost-effective alternative to HCV RNA testing, particularly in resource-limited settings. This review explores the significance of HCVcAg, a key protein in the hepatitis C virus, examining its structure, function, and role in the viral life cycle.
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November 2024
Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-361, RJ, Brazil.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still causes death in elderly and immunocompromised individuals, for whom the sustainability of the vaccine response may be limited. Antiviral treatments, such as remdesivir or molnupiravir, have demonstrated limited clinical efficacy. Nirmatrelvir, an acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) major protease inhibitor, is clinically effective but has been associated with viral rebound and antiviral resistance.
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November 2024
Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N6, Canada.
Despite all the progress in treating SARS-CoV-2, escape mutants to current therapies remain a constant concern. Promising alternative treatments for current and future coronaviruses are those that limit escape mutants by inhibiting multiple pathogenic targets, analogous to the current strategies for treating HCV and HIV. With increasing popularity and ease of manufacturing of RNA technologies for vaccines and drugs, therapeutic microRNAs represent a promising option.
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