[Detection of HCV-RNA in liver tissue does not correlate with inflammatory process and fibrosis activity in chronic...

The significance of HCV-RNA presence in the liver tissue in chronic hepatitis C activity or prognosis has not yet been clearly explained. Therefore, we have examined the relationship between the presence of HCV-RNA in the liver and selected parameters of disease activity and liver damage. A group of 48 chronically HCV infected patients (7-63 years old, mean 39 years) was evaluated. In the patients we assessed the activity of transaminases (ALT, AST), gammaglutamyltransferase (GGTP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The patients underwent routine liver biopsies and the liver tissue was examined histopathologically and in order to detect the presence of HCV-RNA, by means of a combined procedure joining a new method of HCV-RNA extraction from the liver tissue and HCV-RNA detection with RT-PCR automatic Cobas Amplicor Hepatitis C ver. 2.0 assay (Roche Diagnostics). At the time of the liver biopsy, 44 of the patients were identified as having detectable serum HCV-RNA (as examined by means of Cobas Amplicor Hepatitis C ver. 2.0 assay), 3 patients were negative, and 1 was not tested. The presence of HCV-RNA in the liver tissues was detected in 39 cases (81.2%). In the parameters examined we have not found any significant differences between currently liver HCV-RNA positive and negative patients. Presence of the detectable HCV-RNA in the liver bioptats from chronic hepatitis C patients does not correlate with disease activity or level of liver damage.