RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Radkowski, Marek A1 Bednarska, Agnieszka A1 Horban, Andrzej A1 Stanczak, Janusz A1 Wilkinson, Jeffrey A1 Adair, Debra M. A1 Nowicki, Marek A1 Rakela, Jorge A1 Laskus, TomaszYR 2004 T1 Infection of primary human macrophages with hepatitis C virus in vitro: induction of tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin 8 JF Journal of General Virology, VO 85 IS 1 SP 47 OP 59 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.19491-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been reported to replicate in monocytes/macrophages in infected patients. However, it is unclear whether macrophages are susceptible to infection in vitro and whether such an infection is consequential. Sera from 26 HCV-infected patients were incubated with primary human macrophages collected from healthy donors. Virus negative strand was detected by a Tth enzyme-based strand-specific assay and virus sequences were analysed by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. Concentrations of the cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12p70 were measured in culture supernatants and respective mRNAs were analysed in cell extracts by quantitative RT-PCR. For 15 sera, HCV RNA was detectable in 2- and 3-week cultures from at least one donor. Virus negative strand was detected in 29 % of macrophage samples in this group. In four cases, HCV RNA sequences amplified from macrophages differed from those amplified from sera suggesting evolution during infection. Concentrations of TNF-α and IL-8 were found to be significantly higher in supernatants from HCV-infected cultures. In conclusion, these preliminary data suggest that primary human macrophages are susceptible to HCV infection in vitro and this infection is associated with the induction of cytokines TNF-α and IL-8., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.19491-0