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A STUDY OF THE PRESENCE OF HCV RNA IN SEMEN OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HCV
INFECTION
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M.A. El Guinaidy*, 1 M.F. Abdellatif, 2 H.M. Amin, 2 S. Ahmed, 2
*Presenting Author
1Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department, Faculty Of Medicine, Ain Shams
University, Cairo, EGYPT 2Dermatology & Venereology Department, Faculty Of
Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, EGYPT
Introduction: HCV is a worldwide problem. The prevalence in Egypt
approximates 12%. The role of sexual route in transmitting HCV remains
controversial. The aim of the study was to detect HCV RNA in semen of chronic
HCV infected patients. Patients and methods: Seminal plasma was tested for
HCV RNA in 40 married patients with chronic HCV infection (all have positive
HCV RNA in their sera) using a nested reverse transcription PCR assay with
commercial kits for amplification and detection of HCV RNA (Purescript,
Gentra Systems, Minneapolis, USA). Semen was tested for the presence of PCR
inhibitors to identify patients with false negative results. Results: 10
patients (25%) had HCV RNA in their semen (seminal plasma was +ve while round
cells and motile spermatozoa were Šve for HCV RNA). Three out of the 10 wives
of these 10 patients had HCV RNA in serum. Duration of marriage was
significantly longer in HCV positive wives compared to non-infected wives.
Serum HCV RNA levels were significantly higher in patients with +ve semen
samples than in patients with Šve semen samples (mean±SD 1, 695, 539±1, 348,
002 vs 241, 860±338, 504 copies /ml, P<0.001). Conclusion: HCV RNA can be
detected in semen of patients with high blood viral load. They may transmit
the infection to their wives and the risk of transmission increases
proportionately with duration of marriage.
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