Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
The relationship between alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C virus was studied in 80 patients by searching for hepatitis C virus RNA with the polymerase chain reaction and by measuring hepatitis C virus antibodies. By C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 2 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 8 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 14 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 19 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Percentages of patients with antibodies found by C-100 radioimmunoassay and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on sequence peptide 42 were lower; of the 16 patients with a low titer by C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 10 were negative by radioimmunoassay and 6 were negative by sequence peptide 42. By a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 2 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 15 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 18 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 3 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 13 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 20 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Of the 37 patients with hepatitis C virus RNA, 31 had antibodies by C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (25 patients at a high titer [cut-off index greater than 6]), and 31 had antibodies by second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay. Patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus RNA had higher ALT activity than such patients without hepatitis C virus RNA (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Nishiguchi
S
S
Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Kuroki
T
T
Yabusako
T
T
Seki
S
S
Kobayashi
K
K
Monna
T
T
Otani
S
S
Sakurai
M
M
Shikata
T
T
Yamamoto
S
S
D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral