title: Antibodies to hepatitis C virus and hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: The authors studied the interrelationship of antibody to hepatitis C virus core protein (anti-HCV core), antibody to C100-3 antigen (anti-C100-3) and serum hepatitis C virus RNA positivity in chronic liver disease patients. Anti-HCVcore was detected with high titers in 95% (69/73) of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis patients, while anti-C100-3 was found in 60% (44/73). A close relationship was observed between detection of anti-HCVcore and viremia. Anti-HCVcore was also detected with low titers in 24% (10/41) of hepatitis B virus carriers negative for anti-C100-3. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 3 of the 10 anti-HCVcore-positive carriers. A significant correlation was observed between the occurrence of high titers of anti-HCVcore and serum hepatitis C virus RNA positivity. In chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon-alpha, a sustained reduction of anti-HCVcore was more closely associated with sustained virus clearance than that of anti-C100-3. These results indicate that anti-HCVcore may serve as a reliable marker of hepatitis C virus infection.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yuki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fusamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; C064544:C100 protein, hepatitis C virus; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins