title: Screening for hepatitis C virus in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals.
abstract: Immunosuppression from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may impair antibody formation, and false-negative hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) tests have been reported in individuals coinfected with HIV and HCV. It is unknown if the frequency of false-negative tests is sufficiently high to change screening recommendations in this setting. Thus, the prevalence of false-negative results for anti-HCV by third-generation tests was determined with samples from HIV-infected individuals. Sera from 559 HIV-infected and 944 HIV-negative prospectively followed injection drug users were tested for anti-HCV by a third-generation enzyme immunoassay and for HCV RNA by using a branched DNA assay and the HCV COBAS AMPLICOR system. Of 559 HIV-infected participants, 547 (97.8%) were anti-HCV positive. One of the remaining 12 anti-HCV-negative participants was HCV RNA positive, and she later developed detectable anti-HCV. Of the 944 HIV-negative participants, 825 (87.4%) were anti-HCV positive. One of the remaining 119 anti-HCV-negative participants was HCV RNA positive, and she also developed detectable anti-HCV at a later visit. These data indicate that HIV infection does not alter the approach to hepatitis C virus screening, which should be performed with third-generation assays for anti-HCV unless acute infection is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thio
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Nolt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Astemborski
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vlahov
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral