Chronic hepatitis C without anti-hepatitis C antibodies by second-generation assay. A clinicopathologic study and demonstration of the usefulness of a third-generation assay.
To study the clinicopathologic features of hepatitis C viremic patients negative for hepatitis C antibodies (anti-HCV) by current second-generation assay, we categorized 139 consecutive histologically verified patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis into three groups: 121 (87%) were positive for second-generation anti-HCV (group A); 10 (7%) were negative for second-generation anti-HCV but positive for HCV RNA (group B); and 8 (6%) were negative for both antibodies and viremia (group C). Six (60%) of group B patients could be, further detected by a new third-generation assay, but none of group C patients was third-generation anti-HCV-positive. The demographic features, mean peak serum alanine aminotransferase levels, HCV genotype distribution, and histologic changes were comparable among the three groups. The study indicates that most patients with chronic hepatitis C in Taiwan could be identified by current second-generation assay, and viremic but antibody seronegative patients were clinicopathologically similar to the seropositives. Most patients of the latter group could be diagnosed by a third-generation assay, indicating the usefulness of this assay.
Kao
J H
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei.
Lai
M Y
MY
Hwang
Y T
YT
Yang
P M
PM
Chen
P J
PJ
Sheu
J C
JC
Wang
T H
TH
Hsu
H C
HC
Chen
D S
DS
D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012698:Serologic Tests
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies