Quantitative detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in urine of patients with chronic hepatitis C using a novel real‐time PCR assay. Issue 1 (24th September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lu, Tian; Han, Yanxi; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Kuo; Lin, Guigao; Li, Jinming
• Is Part Of: Journal of medical virology. Volume 91:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 115
• Page End: 123
• Publication Date: 2018-09-24
• Subjects: hepatitis C virus (HCV) -- noninvasive -- nucleic acid testing (NAT) -- real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) -- urine; Virology -- Periodicals; 616
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25280
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0146-6615

Abstract

Abstract : Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA can be detected in body fluids such as urine. However, because of deficiencies in established isolation and detection methods, the actual prevalence and form of HCV RNA in the urine of patients with hepatitis C remain unclear. To more sensitively and accurately measure urine HCV RNA levels, a novel real‐time PCR assay with a modified isolation method and short amplicon designed for short HCV RNA fragments was developed in this study. The limit of detection, precision, linearity, and specificity of the assay was evaluated and demonstrated high‐quality performance. The prevalence of HCV RNA in the urine of viremic patients infected with HCV was 60% (36/60), as determined by a 62‐bp assay. The HCV RNA detection rate and concentration were much lower with a 157‐bp assay, and were undetectable with 222‐ and 304‐bp assays. With the 62‐bp assay, patients with detectable urine HCV RNA had significantly higher plasma HCV RNA levels ( P < 0.001), and plasma and urine concentrations were significantly positively correlated ( R 2 = 0.708, P < 0.001). The method not only increased the detection rate of urine HCV RNA but also revealed the presence of short HCV RNA fragments in urine, indicating that urine from CHC patients with normal kidney function should not be infectious. In addition, it raised the possibility of urinary HCV RNA as a potential noninvasive marker for therapeutic monitoring of patients with hepatitis C. Highlights: In this study, a novel real‐time PCR assay with a modified isolation method and short amplicon designed for short HCV RNA fragments was developed, and this is the first quantitative assay for urine HCV RNA detection. The method not only increased the detection rate of urine HCV RNA but also revealed the presence of short HCV RNA fragments in urine. The study indicated that non‐parenteral route of HCV infection through urine is unlikely, and raised the possibility of urinary HCV RNA as a potential noninvasive marker for therapeutic monitoring of patients with hepatitis C.