FIG. 2.

Density distribution of HCV RNA in plasma from three immunocompetent patients using iodixanol gradients. All three patients, S7, S8, and S9, had been diagnosed with chronic HCV infection, and antiviral treatment had not been initiated. (A) Patient S7 had moderate HCV infection, and 100 μl plasma with 2.6 × 10⁵ IU of HCV RNA was applied to the gradient. (B) Patient S8 had mild HCV infection, and 100 μl plasma with 1.6 × 10⁴ IU of HCV RNA was applied to the gradient. (C) Patient S9 had been diagnosed with cirrhosis due to HCV infection, and 100 μl plasma with 1.3 × 10⁴ IU of HCV RNA was applied to the gradient. RNA in each fraction from the gradients was detected by RT-PCR and analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The PCR product was semiquantified by densitometry, and values are shown as bar graphs. The linearity of each density gradient is shown as a line graph.