Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms.

Hepatitis C virus does not infect muscle, the intervertebral disk, or the meniscus in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Bartolomé J, Rodríguez-Iñigo E, Erice A, Vidal S, Castillo I, Carreño V

Fundación para el Estudio de las Hepatitis Virales, Madrid, Spain.

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with several extrahepatic manifestations, including neuromuscular and joint disorders, and HCV RNA has been detected in muscle fibers of patients with myosistis and chronic hepatitis C. However, whether HCV infects muscle cells in patients without myosistis is unknown. The presence of HCV in other sites of the musculoskeletal system has not been investigated. In the present study the presence of HCV RNA was sought in muscle (2 cases), intervertebral disk (1 case) and meniscus (1 case) samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C. HCV RNA was not detected by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction in any of the samples tested. In conclusion, the results do not support a direct role of HCV in musculoskeletal disorders associated with chronic hepatitis C.

Published 18 October 2007 in J Med Virol, 79(12): 1818-20.
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