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Updated: Apr 21, 2026
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
Effectiveness of HCV core antigen and RNA quantification in HCV-infected and HCV/HIV-1-coinfected patients
Insights
Hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCV-coreAg) levels track with HCV RNA over time. The HCV-coreAg/HCV-RNA ratio indicates immune status in patients coinfected with HCV and HIV.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCV-coreAg) is a marker of active HCV infection.
- Understanding HCV-coreAg and HCV RNA stability is crucial, especially in coinfections.
- HIV-1 coinfection impacts HCV dynamics and immune response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the stability and effectiveness of HCV-coreAg and HCV-RNA quantification in HCV-infected patients with or without HIV-1 coinfection.
- To explore the relationship between the HCV-coreAg/HCV-RNA ratio and immune status in chronic HCV/HIV-1-coinfected individuals.
Main Methods:
- A 3-year longitudinal study of 227 patients (HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-1-coinfected).
- Quantification of HCV core antigen and HCV RNA from cryopreserved plasma.
- In vitro experiments to assess HCV component degradation under different conditions.
Main Results:
- Stable correlations between HCV-coreAg and HCV RNA were observed in both groups.
- HCV/HIV-1 coinfected patients with compromised immunity showed higher Ag/RNA ratios.
- Ag/RNA ratios were negatively correlated with CD4+ T-cell counts.
Conclusions:
- HCV-coreAg dynamics parallel HCV RNA dynamics in chronic HCV infection.
- The HCV-coreAg/HCV-RNA ratio serves as a valuable indicator of immune status in HCV/HIV-1 coinfected patients.
Background:
The measurement of hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCV-coreAg) has been shown to be an indicator of active HCV infection. The aim of the present study was 1) to investigate the stability and effectiveness of HCV-coreAg and HCV-RNA quantification in HCV infection with or without HIV-1 coinfection, 2) to explore the association between the HCV-coreAg/HCV-RNA (Ag/RNA) ratio and the immune status in chronic HCV/HIV-1-coinfected patients.
Methods:
A longitudinal investigation comprised of 227 HCV-monoinfected (n = 129) and HCV/HIV-1-coinfected (n = 98) patients was initiated in August 2009, and 139 (73 with HCV monoinfection and 66 with HCV/HIV-1 coinfection) were followed up in August 2012. Both HCV core antigen and HCV RNA quantification were determined on this cryopreserved plasma. HCV core antigen and HCV RNA quantification were performed subsequently. In addition, an in vitro experiment investigating the possibility of degradation of HCV components (core antigen and RNA) were conducted.
Results:
Significant and stable correlations (p < 0.001) were observed both in chronic HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-1-coinfected patients over the 3-year observation. Coinfected patients with immunocompromised condition had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) Ag/RNA ratios than those patients with immunocompetent condition both at two time points (2009 and 2012). Moreover, the Ag/RNA ratios were negatively correlated with CD4+ T-cell counts (p < 0.001). An in vitro experiment investigated the possibility of the slower degradation of HCV particles under HIV-related immunocompromised condition was conducted and the data demonstrated that the Ag/RNA ratios were significantly higher in HIV-1-positive plasma than in healthy plasma (p = 0.005) in this study.
Conclusions:
Our longitudinal study indicated that the HCV-coreAg presented comparable dynamics over time as HCV RNA in chronic HCV-infected patients. Meanwhile, the HCV-coreAg/HCV-RNA ratio was closely associated with immune status in HCV/HIV-1-coinfected patients.
