title: Hepatitis C virus antibodies in chronic active hepatitis: pathogenetic factor or false-positive result?
abstract: An enzyme immunoassay (Ortho-HCV ELISA) for antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was used to test 143 serum samples from 53 patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AI-CAH). Optical density (OD) values in the assay correlated closely with serum globulin (r = 0.8846, p much less than 0.0005) and IgG (r = 0.6281, p less than 0.0005) concentrations but not with immunosuppressant therapy. OD values were positive in 20 (65%) of 31 with active disease and in only 1 (5%) of 22 in remission (p less than 0.0005). The association between positive results and active disease and high serum globulin levels was confirmed by serial studies in 6 of the patients. In contrast, none of 31 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and only 2 of 24 with non-hepatic disorders associated with high IgG concentrations were positive, and these controls showed no correlation between OD values and serum globulins or IgG. The findings suggest that serum from AI-CAH patients may contain a component that gives false-positive results in the assay.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Department, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
authors.forename: I G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vergani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012712:Serum Globulins