title: Distinguishing acute from symptomatic chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by site-directed serology of the HCV structural proteins.
abstract: To distinguish acute from symptomatic chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, site-directed serology was done on the complete core, envelope 1, and envelope 2 proteins using multiple peptide assays. Serum samples were obtained from 7 patients with clinically confirmed acute HCV infections and from 36 patients with symptomatic chronic HCV infections. At onset of symptoms, all patients with acute infection had HCV RNA in serum, 1 had > 2 strong core peptide reactivities (A405 > 1.0), and the number of core reactivities increased with time in 6 patients. In contrast, 35 of 36 chronic-phase patients with HCV RNA in serum had 3-12 strong core reactivities (P < .001). Envelope 2 antibodies were found in 2 acute-phase and in 32 chronic-phase HCV patients (P < .01). Thus, a serum sample with HCV RNA from a patient with hepatitis can be classified as acute or chronic using site-directed serology of the HCV structural proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Z X
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sönnerborg
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sällberg
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010455:Peptides; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins