Analysis of ELISA hepatitis C virus-positive blood donors population by polymerase chain reaction and recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). Comparison of second and third generation RIBA.
A new RIBA-3 (Chiron-Ortho Diagnostic System) was performed for discriminating uninterpretable results of RIBA-2. Recognition of antibodies to hepatitis C virus by RIBA-2 and RIBA-3 was compared among 95 ELISA-2 (second generation ELISA) positive blood donors and correlated with alanine-aminotransferase (ALAT) levels and viremia, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These studies led to three important conclusions. First, all ELISA-2-positive, RIBA-2-positive and ALAT-positive samples were found viremic compared with 73% of ELISA-2-positive, RIBA-2-positive and ALAT-negative samples. Then, the comparison of the different RIBAs allowed to conclude that RIBA-3 was more sensitive but less specific than RIBA-2. RIBA-3 was interesting to discriminate undetermined RIBA-2, owing to an improved specificity of C100-3 antigen. In fact, most of the C100-3 positive, RIBA-2 undetermined samples became RIBA-3 negative whereas C22-3 positive, RIBA-2 undetermined samples became RIBA-3 positive or undetermined. Finally, a significant correlation was found between the presence of antibodies against C33-c antigen and viremia.
Chicheportiche
C
C
Centre Régional de Transfusion Sanguine, Marseille, France.
Cantaloube
J F
JF
Biagini
P
P
Aumont
P
P
Donnadieu
F
F
Escher
J
J
Larabi
F
F
Zepitelli
J P
JP
D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014766:Viremia
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins