title: Prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies confirmed by recombinant immunoblot in different population subsets in The Netherlands.
abstract: The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was studied in various population subsets in the Netherlands with anti-HCV C100 enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and confirmed with recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). Anti-HCV C100 ELISA positivity and RIBA positivity were found in 39 (0.7%) and 5 (0.1%) of 5,434 blood donors from Amsterdam; 25 (5%) and 2 (0.4%) of 481 blood donors from Surinam (South America); 19 (9%) and 2 (1%) of 213 multitransfused patients; 28 (4%) and 15 (2%) of 633 hemodialysis patients; 179 (80%) and 150 (67%) of 225 hemophilia A and B patients; 8 (80%) and 4 (40%) of 10 intravenous drug abusers; 18 (15%) and 2 (2%) of 119 anti-HIV-positive homosexual men; 2 (2%) and none of 106 anti-HIV-negative homosexual men; 6 (32%) and 3 (16%) of 19 patients with acute hepatitis non-A, non-B (NANBH); 13 (65%) and 8 (40%) of 20 patients with chronic NANBH and/or cryptogenic cirrhosis; and 4 (40%) and 1 (10%) of 10 patients with idiopathic autoimmune chronic hepatitis. Among blood donors, a positive correlation between a history of jaundice after the age of 18 years and the presence of RIBA-confirmed anti-HCV antibodies was found. Among both blood donors and hemodialysis patients, a positive correlation of RIBA-confirmed anti-HCV positivity with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels, but not with the presence of anti-hepatitis B core antibodies was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Red Cross Blood Bank, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Van der Poel
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reesink
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Mauser-Bunschoten
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leentvaar-Kuypers
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Chamuleau
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schaasberg
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bakker
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Exel-Oehlers
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Theobalds
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013532:Suriname / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies