Typing of hepatitis C virus antibody with specific peptides in seropositive blood donors and comparison with genotyping of viral RNA.
OBJECTIVE
Serotyping of antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) with specific peptides has been developed as an alternate method for typing HCV infections. The method does not require a prior amplification of viral RNA sequences from the sample. Identification of the viral genotype may be relevant for prognosis and clinical management.


METHODS
We used a previously described HCV serotyping assay (RIBA HCV Serotype SIA kit, Chiron Corp.) to investigate the serotype in 191 samples from blood donors selected for anti-HCV patterns (positive and indeterminate), ALT levels, and the presence or absence of viral RNA. The serotypes were compared with the genotypes obtained from typing the 5'-noncoding region of the viral RNA in 82 viremic samples.


RESULTS
We were able to obtain the viral serotype in 85% (114/134) of samples positive for anti-HCV but in only 3.5% (2/57) of the indeterminates. Lack of anti-NS4 in the sample was significantly associated with both untypable results and the presence of HCV serotypes other than serotype 1. The overall correlation with genotyping was 78% (64/82), rising to 95.5% (64/67) if only samples that could be both genotyped and serotyped were considered. The assay was easy to perform, gave reactivity patterns easy to interpret, and performed with high proficiency on anti-HCV-positive samples lacking detectable levels of viral RNA.


CONCLUSIONS
This is a practical and useful method for typing HCV infections in the clinical setting. The poor ability of the Core peptides to give the serotype in samples lacking anti-NS4 and the lack of specific peptides to recognize HCV types other than 1, 2, and 3 are, however, some aspects of the method that need improvement in the future.
León
P
P
Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
López
J A
JA
Elola
C
C
Quan
S
S
Echevarría
J M
JM
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001782:Blood Donors; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral