Hepatitis C virus antibodies and virus replication in asymptomatic blood donors.
We assessed hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 99 asymptomatic blood donors positive using a first-generation HCV antibody assay. When tested with second-generation assays, 86 (87%) donors were reactive (group 1), 2 (2%) were indeterminate (group 2), and 11 (11%) were non-reactive (group 3). Viraemia was revealed by polymerase chain reaction in all group 1 cases. The 2 group 2 cases and 6 (55%) group 3 cases were also viraemic. Viraemia was confirmed by a branched DNA assay in the 2 group 2 cases and 4 (36%) group 3 cases. Serum HCV RNA levels were further studied using a competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. All cases in groups 2 and 3 were low viraemic (range 10(4)-10(5.5) copies/ml) compared with the 9 group 1 cases examined (range 10(7)-10(9) copies/ml). No correlation was evident between viraemic levels and antibody cut-off index in the first-generation assay. These findings indicate the possibility that low levels of viraemia can occur in individuals non-reactive in second-generation HCV antibody assays.
Yuki
N
N
First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
Hayashi
N
N
Hagiwara
H
H
Naito
M
M
Ohkawa
K
K
Kasahara
A
A
Fusamoto
H
H
Ohtani
S
S
Okubo
Y
Y
Kamada
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology*; D014779:Virus Replication
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase