648-M. Presence of HCV RNA in Cervico-Vaginal Lavages Obtained from HIV-1/HCV Co-Infected Women

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Session 85 Poster Session
HCV Co-Infection: Diagnosis and Pathogenesis
Session Time: 4:30-6:30 pm
Room 4E-F

648-M.

Presence of HCV RNA in Cervico-Vaginal Lavages Obtained from HIV-1/HCV Co-Infected Women
M. Nowicki*¹, T. Laskus², M. Radkowski², J. Rakela², and A. Kovacs¹
¹Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles and ²Mayo Clin., Scottsdale, AZ

Background: HCV infection is common among HIV-infected women, especially among those who are injection drug users. HCV transmission is predominantly via blood or blood products, although sexual transmission may be responsible for up to 20% of infections. Thus, assessing for HCV presence and replication in genital secretions would assist in understanding both perinatal and heterosexual transmission.
Methods: We tested for HCV RNA in plasmas and cervical lavages (CVL) from 9 randomly selected HCV (+)/HIV-1(+) IDU women enrolled in Women Inter-Agency HIV Study. The HCV RNA analysis was conducted on the 5’UTR region. Viral sequences were compared by direct sequencing and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). The presence of HCV RNA negative strand was determined by Tth-based strand-specific RT-PCR.
Results: HCV RNA was detected in plasma and CVL of 5/9 women. HCV RNA negative strand was repeatedly detected in CVL from 1 woman. In 4 out of 5 women the SSCP band patterns for serum- and CVL-derived viral sequences were different. However, the dominant viral variants were identical in each woman as confirmed by direct sequencing. To further analyze the compartmentalization of HCV, viral sequences derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were analyzed in 4 out of 5 women in whom HCV RNA was detected in CVL. The SSCP band patterns for serum- and PBMC-derived HCV sequences were identical in 3 women, while in one they were dissimilar. In that latter case PBMC-derived sequence pattern was identical to that from CVL suggesting common origin.
Conclusions: Our data suggest the presence of a separate HCV compartment in CVL in HIV-1/HCV co-infected women. This compartment could play an important role in vertical and sexual transmission of HCV.