Effect of Wiping Acupuncture Needles with Cotton on Removing Hepatitis C Viruses Contaminating the Needle Surface
10.3777/jjsam.54.87
- VernacularTitle:Ｃ型肝炎ウイルスのしん体への付着性及び綿花のウイルス除去効果について
- Author:
Yuki Kasahara
;
Takako Matsuo
;
Manabue Okuda
;
Takashi Umeda
;
Koichi Kuribayashi
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
acupuncture;
hepatitis C virus (HCV);
infection;
RT-PCR
- From:Journal of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
2004;54(1):87-96
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
We examined whether wiping acupuncture needles with cotton could remove Hepatitis C viruses (HCV) adhering to the needles. The needles were incubated in the serum from patients infected with HCV, then the needles were wiped with dry cotton or cotton soaked in 80% ethanol. RNA was extracted from these needles and the HCV genome was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results indicated that the HCV genome was not detected when the needles were wiped with dry cotton. However, in one of two experiments, the HCV genome was detected after wiping the needles with cotton soaked in ethanol. We also examined the HCV contamination on the needles extracted from patients infected with HCV. The HCV genome was detected on extracted needles that were not wiped with cotton, but the genome was not found on needles wiped with cotton at the time of extraction. Therefore, wiping acupuncture needles with cotton might effectively remove HCV on the contaminated needles, but the viruses could not always be re-moved by simply wiping the needles with cotton.
