Abstract
Background: Studies indicate that in most patients with chronic hepatitis C, viral RNA is present not only in plasma but also in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC). Furthermore, the PBMC compartment may be a preferred site for HCV, which is able to reinitiate viral replication after HCV treatment, even if clearance occurred. The aim of this study was to detect the persistence of hepatitis C viral RNA in both serum and PBMCs at 12 and 24 weeks of treatment in chronic hepatitis C virus (CHC) patients with sofosbuvir based therapy. Methods: 75 CHC patients were tested for HCV- RNA in serum at 0, 12 & 24 weeks of treatment, and for HCV- RNA in PBMCs on the 12 & 24 weeks. Results: At week 12 of treatment all patients had no HCVRNA in their serum; however, 8 cases were positive for HCV RNA in their PBMC. After 24 weeks of treatment, HCV RNA was re-examined in both serum and PBMCs for all patients. Six out of the eight cases that were found having positive HCV RNA in their PBMCs turned positive HCV RNA in the serum. While the other two cases still negative for HCV RNA in the serum. Interestingly, another two cases out of the sixty-seven cases that were found having negative HCV RNA in their PBMC turned positive HCV RNA in the serum. Conclusions: Absence of HCV RNA in PBMC is a better predictor of good response after treatment of CHC patients with DAAs, than its absence in the serum.
HCV RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as a predictor of the response to antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C
