title: IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus in acute and chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: To assess possible role of testing for IgM-specific antibody in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with hepatitis C, we tested sera from 14 patients with acute and 97 patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis for IgG and IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus. IgG antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 93% of acute cases and 91% of chronic cases. Of the 101 patients with IgG antibody to hepatitis C virus, 57% had IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus. None of the 20 healthy subjects or 40 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis A or hepatitis B had IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus. At the onset of clinical symptoms in acute hepatitis C, IgG antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 8 (57%) and IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus in 9 of 14 patients (64%). Eventually, both IgG and IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus became detectable in 13 of 14 patients with acute hepatitis C. Seven patients with antibody to hepatitis C virus resolved the acute infection within 6 mo and all seven cleared IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus, whereas two cleared IgG antibody to hepatitis C virus. Six patients had a chronic outcome of the acute infection and IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus persisted in detectable amounts for more than 6 mo in all (mean = 15.5 mo). Among 88 patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis with IgG antibody to hepatitis C virus, IgM antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected in 45 (51%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Campillo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Catillo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomé
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Porres
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carreño
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007075:Immunoglobulin M