title: Duration and specificity of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in chronic active hepatitis.
abstract: To determine the duration and specificity of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in hepatitis B surface antigen-negative chronic active hepatitis, sera from 19 patients seropositive by enzyme immunoassay were assessed by recombinant immunoblot assay. Only 12 of the 19 patients were reactive by immunoblot assay (63%). Patients nonreactive by immunoblot assay had lower signal-cutoff ratios by enzyme immunoassay (1.3 +/- 0.2 vs. 6.5 +/- 0.1; P less than 0.05), higher serum immunoglobulin G levels (4082 +/- 301 vs. 1760 +/- 143 mg/dL; P less than 0.05), and higher serum gamma globulin levels (3.3 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.04 +/- 0.1 g/dL; P less than 0.05) than reactive patients. Twelve of 14 patients with serial studies remained seropositive after 39 +/- 11 months of follow-up (range, 7-113 months). Only patients nonreactive by immunoblot assay became seronegative by enzyme immunoassay during corticosteroid therapy (2/3 vs. 0/6 patients). It is concluded that seropositivity by enzyme immunoassay may not be documented by immunoblot assay. Patients nonreactive by immunoblot assay have lower signal-cutoff ratios and higher gamma globulin levels than reactive patients, and their seropositivity may be nonspecific. Patients nonreactive by immunoblot assay may lose seropositivity by enzyme immunoassay during corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Hepatobiliary Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Czaja
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Taswell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rakela
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rabe
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000914:Antibodies, Viral