Hepatitis C Virus Infected Human Megakaryocytes and Platelets: Intra- and Extracellular Evaluation

Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether the hepatitis C virus HCV infects human megakaryocytes and platelets and to measure the expression of receptors involved in virus-cell interaction Platelets from healthy donors were infected with HCV in vitro and analyzed for viral expression and the receptors claudin-1 and cluster of differentiation 81 CD81 HCV was detected on the surface and cytoplasm of both cells cytoplasmic expression was higher compared to the surface Platelets presented a claudin-1 CD81-phenotype and megakaryocytes showed aclaudin-1 CD81 phenotype We conclude that megakaryocytes and platelets are susceptible to HCV infection regardless of CD81 expression and megakaryocytes may serve as possible sites of viral replication