New Microbiol. 2018 Sep 25;41(4). [Epub ahead of print]
Distribution of different HBV DNA forms in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of chronically infected patients with low or undetectable HBV plasma viremia.
Vicenti I1, Rossetti B2,3, Mariano S2, Saladini F1, Montagnani F1,2, Zazzi M1, De Luca A2.
Author information
1
Medical Biotechnology Department, University of Siena, Siena.
2
UOC Malattie Infettive, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, AOU Senese.
3
Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome.
Abstract
Few studies have documented hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We developed real-time PCR methods for differential amplification of covalently closed circular (cccDNA) and total HBV DNA (tDNA). The different distribution of cccDNA and tDNA in plasma and PBMCs was evaluated in 37 patients with low or undetectable viremia. Plasma tDNA measured by the Abbott reference system and the in-house assay correlated well (Spearman rho = 0.804; P<0.0001). tDNA was detected in four PBMC samples, all from patients with detectable plasma viremia (range 633-6,406 IU/ml), cccDNA was not detected in any sample. The reasons for apparently discrepant results need further investigation but possibly include the high diversification of HBV status and plasma viremia levels.
KEYWORDS: