Cytokine profile and viral diversity in the early seronegative stage of community-acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

ABSTRACT: Most Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected subjects develop chronic infection, whereas a minority clear the virus in the early phase of infection. We analyzed factors associated with outcome (chronicity vs clearance) during the preclinical seronegative phase of community-acquired HCV infection. Among 17.5 million blood donations in the years 2000-2016, 124 blood donors were found to be HCV RNA-positive/anti-HCV-negative. All were contacted after 0.5-12.7 years and 40 responded and provided blood sample. Hypervariable region 1 was analyzed by ultradeep pyrosequencing and cytokines in serum were quantified by Luminex (R&D Systems) multiplex immunoassay. Twenty-one (52.5%) donors were found to be HCV-RNA-positive, while 19 (47.5%) were HCV RNA negative (none received antiviral treatment). All but

SUBMITTER: Radkowski M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10654698 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature