title: Detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in acute non-A, non-B hepatitis as an early diagnostic tool.
abstract: The presence of hepatitis C virus RNA was examined in the sera of 32 patients with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus RNA was extracted from serum, reverse transcribed to cDNA and amplified by two rounds of polymerase chain reaction. Hepatitis C virus RNA was detected in all patients who developed anti-C100-3 as well as 79% who did not. These data suggest that hepatitis C virus accounts for most cases of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis whether anti-C100-3-positive or not. In addition, hepatitis C virus RNA was detected in the earliest serum samples, 9 +/- 11 weeks before anti-C100-3, and thus may be valuable as a diagnostic marker for acute hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Chiba University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yokosuka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omata
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; C078224:anti-C100-3; D004247:DNA