Clinical significance of the antibody to the putative core protein of hepatitis C virus in patients with chronic liver disease.
We evaluated the clinical significance of the antibody to hepatitis C core protein (anti-p22) analysing 147 sera from 99 patients; 45 of them had post-transfusion non A non B (NANB) hepatitis, 28 cryptogenic non A non B hepatitis, 12 chronic hepatitis B, 7 chronic hepatitis D, 6 other forms of liver disease (4 primary biliary cirrhosis, 2 autoimmune hepatitis) and 1 rheumatoid arthritis. All sera were tested by commercial 1st and 2nd-generation ELISAs and anti-p22 single antibody ELISA. We found a highly significant correspondence between anti-p22 and commercial assays (p = 0.0001). HCV-RNA was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in sera showing positive or negative concordant results and in all sera (24) that showed discordant results by anti-p22 and commercial ELISAs. HCV-RNA was found in 14 of 17 (82%) anti-p22 positive sera that were negative by commercial ELISAs, in 1 of 7 (14.3%) anti-p22 negative sera that were positive by commercial ELISAs (p = 0.001) and in all control sera from patients with positive concordant results. It was undetectable in 7 sera from patients with autoimmune diseases (negative by all ELISAs). We studied follow-up sera from 16 patients treated with interferon: 8 long-term responders (with persistently normal ALT levels for at least 24 months after discontinuation of therapy and histological remission) and 8 non-responders. Sera were also tested by a 4-antigen recombinant immunoblotting assay (RIBA II).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Manzini
P
P
Laboratory of the Gastroenterology Department, Molinette Hospital Torino, Italy.
Calvo
P L
PL
Brunetto
M R
MR
Baldi
M
M
Abate
M L
ML
Oliveri
F
F
Negro
F
F
Balzola
F
F
Saracco
G
G
Verme
G
G
D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000175:diagnosis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C499352:core protein p22, Hepatitis C virus; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus