Clinical evaluation of the antibody against core protein of hepatitis C virus.
The authors measured antibody against the core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with acute or chronic hepatitis and healthy blood donors, and compared the results with the one obtained from anti-C100-3 assay. To characterize this antibody (anti-core), we also examined the patients with past posttransfusional acute non-A, non-B hepatitis and investigated how frequently viraemia of HCV persisted after the acute phase of hepatitis detecting HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction. Anti-core was detected in 109/128 (85.2%) of patients with chronic hepatitis and the detection rate of anti-C100-3 was 95/128 (74.2%), respectively. Twenty seven of 33 (82%) patients with past postransfusional acute hepatitis were still positive for anti-core concomitant with the presence of anti-C100-3, having accompanied the presence of HCV RNA in 24/33 (73%). Eight of 2,020 (0.4%) healthy blood donors who were negative for anti-C100-3 were anti-core-positive, and all 5 patients transfused with this anti-core positive blood suffered from posttransfusion hepatitis C. Thus, anti-core antibody was closely associated with the presence of HCV RNA and considered to be a reliable marker of the virus replication.
Ohkoshi
S
S
Third Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Japan.
Watanabe
M
M
Kuwana
K
K
Tawaraya
H
H
Kamimura
T
T
Asakura
H
H
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; C064544:C100 protein, hepatitis C virus; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins