Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment
Al Ashgar, H., Al Quaiz, M., Al Kahtani, K., AlQahtani, A., Alhussaini, H., Elssadany, A., Alqahtani, S., PEEDIKAYIL, M. (2020). Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment. EKB Journal Management System, 5.1(1), 7-12. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2020.125595
Hamad Al Ashgar; Mohammed Al Quaiz; Khalid Al Kahtani; Ahmed AlQahtani; Hussa Alhussaini; Amr M Elssadany; Saleh A Alqahtani; MUSTHAFA PEEDIKAYIL. "Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment". EKB Journal Management System, 5.1, 1, 2020, 7-12. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2020.125595
Al Ashgar, H., Al Quaiz, M., Al Kahtani, K., AlQahtani, A., Alhussaini, H., Elssadany, A., Alqahtani, S., PEEDIKAYIL, M. (2020). 'Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment', EKB Journal Management System, 5.1(1), pp. 7-12. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2020.125595
Al Ashgar, H., Al Quaiz, M., Al Kahtani, K., AlQahtani, A., Alhussaini, H., Elssadany, A., Alqahtani, S., PEEDIKAYIL, M. Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment. EKB Journal Management System, 2020; 5.1(1): 7-12. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2020.125595

Prevalence of occult HCV infections in Saudi patients who achieved sustained virologic response with direct acting antiviral treatment

Medical Journal of Viral Hepatitis
Article 3, Volume 5.1, Issue 1, November 2020, Pages 7-12    PDF (314.91 K)
Document Type: Original article
DOI: 10.21608/mjvh.2020.125595
Authors
Hamad Al Ashgar1; Mohammed Al Quaiz1; Khalid Al Kahtani1; Ahmed AlQahtani2; Hussa Alhussaini3; Amr M Elssadany4; Saleh A Alqahtani5; MUSTHAFA PEEDIKAYIL6
1Medicine, Gastroenterology dept., King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2Infection and Immunity dept., Research Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3Anatomic pathology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
4Radiology dept., King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
5Consultant hepatologist, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia.
6KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTER,PO BOX NO.3354
Abstract
Background: Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OCI) is a condition where HCVRNA is present in hepatocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but not in the serum, in patients treated for hepatitis C infection. Serum HCV ant-ibodies may or may not be present. Aim: We investigated the prevalence of OCI in PBMCs and hepatocytes in patients who had achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) after 24 weeks of direct-acting antiviral treatment. Methods: Chronic HCV patients with Genotype 1a and 4 who achieved SVR24 weeks after treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) were prospectively selected. RNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen GmbH, Germany) was used for RNA extraction from blood and liver tissue samples. Superscript IV First-Strand Synthesis System (Invitrogen) was used for reverse transcription PCR. Quantitative and qualitative detection of HCV RNA was performed using pri-mers specific to the 5′untranslated region (5′UTR). Patients: Of the six chronic HCV patients recruited for this study, five were infected with genotype 4 and one with genotype 1a. Five patients were treated with Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir, and one patient with Ledipasvir plus Sofosbuvir. All of the patients were immunocompetent. Results: None of the pat-ients had detectable HCV RNA in either the PBMCs or hepatocytes, suggesting zero prevalence of OCI in patients who achieved 24 weeks SVR post DAA treatment. Conclusion: We failed to detect HCV RNA in both the hepatocytes and PBMCs of all patients recruited for the study. This finding suggests that OCI is a rare phenomenon in chronic HCV patients with SVR following DAAs.
Keywords
Chronic hepatitis; HCV; hepatitis C virus; occult infection; occult HCV infection; direct-acting antiviral agents
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