Hepatitis C virus RNA and hepatitis C virus antibody in the serum of patients with abnormal liver function.
In order to elucidate the relation between hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) in serum, we examined samples of serum collected from 228 HBsAg-negative patients, with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values, for HCV-RNA by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and for anti-HCV using C100 protein as the antigen. HCV-RNA was detected in 99 (92.5%) of 107 anti-HCV-IgG-positive samples, regardless of ELISA optical density cut-off value (ELISA ratio), and in 34 (28.1%) of 121 anti-HCV-IgG-negative samples in which the frequency of the presence of HCV-RNA became higher in proportion to the ELISA ratio. Among 42 discordant cases (34 anti-HCV-IgG-negative, RNA-positive cases and eight anti-HCV-IgG-positive, RNA-negative cases), 10 were positive for anti-HCV-IgM (8/34 and 2/8, respectively) irrespective of clinical status. These findings suggest that in patients with abnormal ALT values, even if they are anti-HCV-IgG negative, HCV infection cannot be excluded. Furthermore, PCR assay for detecting HCV-RNA may be more suitable for identifying patients with infectious virus than is detection of anti-HCV-IgG. Detection of anti-HCV-IgM may also be useful.
Ichimura
H
H
Institute of Clinical Research, Kure National Hospital, Japan.
Tamura
I
I
Yamada
O
O
Takezaki
E
E
Koda
T
T
Kurimura
O
O
Kurimura
T
T
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase