title: [Prevalence and significance of ant-HCV-antibodies in ambulatory patients with raised transaminases].
abstract: From November 1989 to April 1990 we analyzed prospectively the prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies and the possible mode of infection in 90 outpatients with repeatedly elevated alanine-aminotransferase levels. The clinical and serological course of these patients was evaluated after 1, 3 and 6 months. Initially, 24 patients (26.6%) were positive for anti-HCV antibodies, but subsequently only 14 of these patients (15.5%) were positive in the follow-up tests. 9 patients (10%) showed no antibodies against HCV in control evaluations and one patient dropped out of the investigation. The 9 patients with a negative result in the control tests had median relative anti-HCV concentrations of 2.0 (range 1.2-4.1) in contrast to 5.5 (range 1.6-256.5) in the 14 patients with a confirmed anti-HCV test (p less than 0.001). None of those 9 patients had received blood transfusions, 7 had consumed drugs intravenously and only 2 had no specific risk for HCV infection. The consistently anti-HCV positive patients had median alanine-aminotransferase levels between 115 and 200 U/l, whereas the levels in initially anti-HCV positive and subsequently negative patients ranged from 75-90 U/l. The initial prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in 26.6% of our patients is related to the high rate of either false positive results or sero-conversion in 38% of this group. We recommend cautious interpretation of anti-HCV test results with relative anti-HCV concentrations less than or equal to 2 in equivocal clinical situations.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Gastroenterologie, Universitätsspital Zürich.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grob
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ammann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altorfer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
vernacular_title: Prävalenz und Bedeutung von Anti-HCV-Antikörpern bei ambulanten Patienten mit erhöhten Transaminasen.