RESUMO
We examined RNA of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) in 61 patients associated with HBV infection, in order to analyze the relationship between the transcriptional activity of HBV in PBMCs and the clinical characteristics. The presence of HBV RNA in PBMCs was detected in 19/51(37.1%) patients with HBsAg positive and in 1/10 (10.0%) patient with HBsAg negative patients. Six healthy controls were all negative. The frequency of HBV RNA positivity was detected in patients with high ALT level (P<0.05), serum HBeAg positivity (P<0.01) and serum HBV DNA level>/=0.7 Meq/ml (P<0.05). Moreover, HBV RNA in PBMCs was detected in one patient followed up for 2 years after HBsAg disappearance in serum, who had not HBV DNA but anti-HBc IgG, in serum. These results suggested that the transcription of HBV in PBMCs, was frequently detected in the patients with higher replication of the virus, but HBV RNA in PBMCs might be detected in a few patients who had no evidence of HBV replication serologically.
