A critical evaluation of hepatitis C testing of cadaveric corneal donors.
OBJECTIVE
Enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies used to screen corneal donors are optimized for testing premortem sera. This study evaluated their efficiency when screening cadaveric sera.


METHODS
Abbott HCV EIA 2.0 was used to rescreen 101 cadaveric sera, 70 of which had tested positive and 31 negative by EIA 1.0. Matrix-HCV recombinant immunoblot assay was used as a reference standard. Antibody titers and reactivities were compared in premortem and cadaveric sera. Selected sera from confirmed seropositive donors were screened for virus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).


RESULTS
HCV EIA 2.0 was 100% sensitive and 92.7% specific. EIA and Matrix-HCV gave similar end-point titers with pre- and postmortem sera. Viral RNA was detected in only three of 15 sera from seropositive donors.


CONCLUSIONS
EIA 2.0 and Matrix-HCV efficiently screen cadaveric sera. However, HCV seropositivity does not necessarily indicate the presence of viral genomes in sera and tissues.
Laycock
K A
KA
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Essary
L R
LR
Delaney
S
S
Kuhns
M C
MC
Pepose
J S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D003315:Cornea; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014766:Viremia / Q000276:immunology
D017931:DNA Primers; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral