title: Improved serodiagnosis of chronic hepatitis C in Japan by a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
abstract: To clarify the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in chronic liver disease, sera from Japanese patients which were negative by the original anti-HCV assay (Ortho) were subjected to a second-generation anti-HCV assay based on a combination of structural (C22) and nonstructural (C200) recombinant HCV proteins. Of 29 patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, 20 (69%) were anti-HCV-positive by the second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and also positive by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) which detects the HCV genome. Of 41 chronic hepatitis B virus carriers, 3 (7%) were positive by the second-generation ELISA; 1 of 3 was positive by RT-PCR. The HCV genome was detected in all cases positive for anti-HCV with high titers. Of 59 healthy subjects negative by the second-generation ELISA, none were positive by RT-PCR. These findings indicate that HCV is a major causative agent of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis in Japan and that second-generation ELISA is specific and a more sensitive diagnostic assay for chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takehara
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshita
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fusamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral