Prevalence of Occult HCV Infections in Saudi Patients who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response with Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment
Al Ashgar, H., AlQahtani, A., Al Quaiz, C., Alhussaini, H., Al Kahtani, K., Elssadany, A., Alqahtani, S., PEEDIKAYIL, M. (2021). Prevalence of Occult HCV Infections in Saudi Patients who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response with Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment. EKB Journal Management System, (), -. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2021.33028.1003
Hamad Al Ashgar; Ahmed AlQahtani; Consultant, Gastroenterologist Mohammed Al Quaiz; Hussa Alhussaini; Khalid Al Kahtani; Amr M Elssadany; Saleh A Alqahtani; MUSTHAFA C PEEDIKAYIL. "Prevalence of Occult HCV Infections in Saudi Patients who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response with Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment". EKB Journal Management System, , , 2021, -. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2021.33028.1003
Al Ashgar, H., AlQahtani, A., Al Quaiz, C., Alhussaini, H., Al Kahtani, K., Elssadany, A., Alqahtani, S., PEEDIKAYIL, M. (2021). 'Prevalence of Occult HCV Infections in Saudi Patients who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response with Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment', EKB Journal Management System, (), pp. -. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2021.33028.1003
Al Ashgar, H., AlQahtani, A., Al Quaiz, C., Alhussaini, H., Al Kahtani, K., 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, 2021; (): -. doi: 10.21608/mjvh.2021.33028.1003

Prevalence of Occult HCV Infections in Saudi Patients who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response with Direct Acting Antiviral Treatment

Medical Journal of Viral Hepatitis
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 May 2021
Document Type: Original article
DOI: 10.21608/mjvh.2021.33028.1003
Authors
Hamad Al Ashgar1; Ahmed AlQahtani2; Consultant, Gastroenterologist Mohammed Al Quaiz3; Hussa Alhussaini4; Khalid Al Kahtani3; Amr M Elssadany5; Saleh A Alqahtani6; MUSTHAFA C PEEDIKAYIL* 7
1Consultant, Gastroenterologist.King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
2Consultant, Department of Infection and Immunity,King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
3Consultant, Gastroenterologist, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
4Consultant, Anatomic pathology,King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
5Associate consultant, Radiology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
6Consultant hepatologist, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Pin 11211
7KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTER,PO BOX NO.3354
Abstract
Background: Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (OCI) is a condition where HCV RNA is present in hepatocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but not in the serum, in patients treated for hepatitis C infection. Serum HCV antibodies 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 SVR 24 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 primers 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.
Results: None of the patients 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 and uncommon among immunocompetent patients.
Keywords
Chronic hepatitis; HCV; hepatitis C virus; occult HCV infection; direct-acting antiviral agents
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