title: Serological diagnosis of hepatitis C virus in patients with liver disease in Saudi Arabia. Evaluation of antibody determination by recombinant immunoblot assays in relation to RNA detection by polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: Sera from 164 Saudi Arabian patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis liver disease were examined for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) by second- and third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-2 and RIBA-3) and for HCV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). By using RIBA-2, 92 (56.1%) were reactive, 64 (39%) were nonreactive, and 8 (4.9%) were indeterminate. By using RIBA-3, 98 (59.7%) were reactive 60 (36.6%) were nonreactive, and 6 (3.7%) were indeterminate. By using PCR, 108 (65.9%) were positive. Of the eight RIBA-2 indeterminate samples, seven became RIBA-3 reactive but PCR-positive, and one became RIBA-3 nonreactive but PCR-negative. Of the six RIBA-3 indeterminate samples, five were RIBA-2 nonreactive but PCR-positive, and one was RIBA-2 reactive but PCR-negative. From our study on Saudi patients, we conclude that RIBA-3 has slightly but not significantly improved the results of anti-HCV antibody detection, and is probably of more value to resolve those indeterminate samples by RIBA-2. Although expensive, PCR remains the most reliable HCV diagnostic method until an HCV antigen detection test is available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Medical Research, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Al-Ahdal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kessie
mesh_terms: D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000379:methods; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral