title: Association of hepatitis C virus carrier state with the occurrence of hepatitis C virus core antibodies.
abstract: An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for the determination of antibodies against the "putative" core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Antigens used were recombinant fragments (amino acids 6-77 or 6-143) of the HCV core protein, produced in Escherichia coli with truncated hepatitis B core (HBc) as fusion protein. Evaluation of 385 sera positive for HCV antibodies by first generation EIA, revealed 98 (25.4%) with HCV core antibodies. HCV-RNA, determined by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was exclusively found in the sera positive for HCV core antibodies (89 PCR positives). In random screening of 3,708 sera, 3 sera with HCV core antibodies were found PCR positive. Only 2 of these sera were positive in the first generation EIA. It is concluded that HCV core antibody determination is a reliable test for identifying HCV carriers among blood donors.
authors.affiliation: Belgian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Centre, Leuven.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Claeys
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volckaerts
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Beenhouwer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vermylen
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins