title: Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies with new recombinant antigens: assessment in chronic liver diseases.
abstract: A new serological assay to detect antibodies against hepatitis C, based on a recombinant protein (BHC10) which incorporates structural and non-structural viral antigens, was tested in 67 healthy subjects and 409 patients with various forms of liver disease. Results were compared with the current assay based on the recombinant non-structural viral antigen c100 and with the recently introduced second-generation assay, Ortho2. None of the healthy subjects was positive by any of the assays. In patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis the prevalence of anti-BHC10 was 96.8%, higher than anti-c100 (83.3%, p less than 0.001) and similar to Ortho2 (94.3%). False-positive results were less frequently found when BHC10 was used. These findings show that assays incorporating structural and non-structural antigens provide higher sensitivity to detect hepatitis C virus infection and they define an almost exclusive role of hepatitis C virus in the genesis of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000276:immunology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins