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Hepatitis B virus RNA is measurable in serum and can be a new marker for monitoring lamivudine therapy

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Abstract

Background

Changes in the serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA level during lamivudine therapy were compared to those in the serum HBV DNA and HBV core-related antigen (HBVcrAg) levels in 24 patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Methods

For measurement of HBV RNA, total nucleic acid was extracted from serum samples and treated with RNase-free DNase I. After cDNA synthesis from extracted RNA, HBV RNA was measured by real-time detection polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The peak fraction of HBV RNA in serum samples was consistent with peak fractions of HBV DNA and HBV core protein in a sucrose gradient analysis, indicating that HBV RNA was incorporated into virus particles. All levels of HBV DNA, HBV RNA, and HBVcrAg decreased gradually during lamivudine therapy (P < 0.001 for all). The amount of decrease from the start of lamivudine therapy was significantly higher for HBV DNA than for HBV RNA or HBVcrAg during 6 months of lamivudine therapy (P < 0.001 for all). However, a similar difference was not seen between HBV RNA and HBVcrAg levels during that period. The HBV RNA level was significantly correlated (P < 0.001 for all) with levels of HBV DNA and HBVcrAg both at the beginning and 2 months after the start of lamivudine therapy.

Conclusions

HBV RNA is detectable in serum in a form indicating incorporation into virus particles, and its serum level might serve as a new viral marker with a significance different from that of HBV DNA in lamivudine therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan

    Akinori Rokuhara, Akihiro Matsumoto, Eiji Tanaka, Takeji Umemura, Kaname Yoshizawa & Kendo Kiyosawa

  2. Advanced Life Science Institute Inc., Wako, Japan

    Tatsuji Kimura & Noboru Maki

Authors
  1. Akinori Rokuhara
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  2. Akihiro Matsumoto
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  3. Eiji Tanaka
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  4. Takeji Umemura
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  5. Kaname Yoshizawa
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  6. Tatsuji Kimura
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  7. Noboru Maki
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  8. Kendo Kiyosawa
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Rokuhara, A., Matsumoto, A., Tanaka, E. et al. Hepatitis B virus RNA is measurable in serum and can be a new marker for monitoring lamivudine therapy. J Gastroenterol 41, 785–790 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1856-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1856-4

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