Investigating the concurrent presence of HCV in serum, oral fluid and urine samples from chronic HCV patients in Faisalabad, Pakistan

Arch Virol. 2009;154(9):1523-7. doi: 10.1007/s00705-009-0477-7. Epub 2009 Aug 8.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is normally present in the blood of infected patients; however, it can also be present in some other body fluids. Therefore, in this study, a concurrent presence of HCV-RNA was investigated in oral fluid and urine of 80 Pakistani chronic HCV patients. HCV-RNA was detected in 31 (38.8%) oral fluid and 10 (12.5%) urine samples using RT-PCR in all 80 of the patients whose sera tested positive for HCV-RNA. From this study, it is concluded that, in addition to the blood, HCV RNA can also be found in oral secretions as well as urine of chronic HCV patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Hepacivirus / genetics
  • Hepacivirus / isolation & purification*
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / blood
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / urine
  • Hepatitis C, Chronic / virology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pakistan
  • RNA, Viral / analysis*
  • RNA, Viral / blood
  • RNA, Viral / urine
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Saliva / virology
  • Urine / virology

Substances

  • RNA, Viral