HCV has transforming potential to retrovirus: an ultrastructure hypothesis.

The present work highlights intracellular viral morphogenesis and virus-host cell interactions in patients proved to be infected with HCV. The material of this study consisted of 28 liver biopsies taken from patients positive for serum HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Liver biopsies were processed for light and electron microscopic examination. Ultrastructural findings of this work supported a new hypothesis for the turnover of HCV to retrovirus and described the presumed involved mechanism. This novel perception offers important insights that can explain the vague mechanisms of HCV behavior in the infected hepatocytes.