INFO: Cell-associated, non-replicating strand((+)) hepatitis C virus-RNA sh

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Subject: INFO:   Cell-associated, non-replicating strand((+)) hepatitis

  C virus-RNA shedding in cervicovaginal secretions from chronically

  HCV-infected women.

J Clin Virol. 2003 Aug;27(3):247-51.

Cell-associated, non-replicating strand((+)) hepatitis C virus-RNA shedding

in cervicovaginal secretions from chronically HCV-infected women.

Belec L, Legoff J, Si-Mohamed A, Bloch F, Matta M, Mbopi-Keou FX, Payan C.

Unite INSERM U430 (Immunopathologie Humaine), Hopital Broussais, Universite

Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris, France

BACKGROUND: Lack of mucosal hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission may be due

to fairly low infectivity of body fluids in HCV-infected individuals in

association with yet unknown innate or acquired resistance factors in

individuals exposed to the virus. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate HCV excretion

patterns in cervicovaginal secretions obtained from chronically

HCV-infected women. STUDY DESIGN: Fifteen chronically HCV-infected women of

childbearing age hospitalized for chronic hepatitis were prospectively

recruited. Cervicovaginal secretions were obtained by vaginal washing with

3 ml phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All cervicovaginal secretions were

free of hemoglobin traces and also free of semen traces. Free HCV-RNA and

cell-associated HCV-RNA were examined in acellular part and cellular part

of the cervicovaginal secretions, respectively, by in-house qualitative PCR

for 5'-HCV-non-coding region (NCR). Negative strand HCV-RNA, a marker of

HCV replication, was searched by using tag-RT-nested PCR (tag-RT-NPCR).

RESULTS: HCV-RNA could not be detected in the acellular fractions of the 15

evaluated cervicovaginal secretions. In contrast, HCV-RNA could be detected

in the cellular fractions of four of 15 (27%) cervicovaginal secretions.

None of the cervicovaginal secretions, including the four positive

cell-associated HCV-RNA, contained negative strand, replicating HCV-RNA.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that positive strand HCV-RNA may be

present outside the menstruation periods as cell-associated virus in the

cervicovaginal secretions of a minority of untreated HCV-seropositive,

HCV-RNA-viremic women, and that the lower female genital tract does not

constitute a reservoir where HCV replicates. These observations thus

provide the basis for the low risk of female-to-male sexual transmission of

HCV infection.

PMID: 12878088 [PubMed - in process]

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