title: [Determination of HCV infection stage in a group of seropositive patients from Maracaibo, Venezuela by measurement the antibody avidity index of anti-HCV IgG].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify HCV infection stage in a group of seropositive patients from Maracaibo, Venezuela, using the measurement of IgG antibody avidity technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a modification suggest by Leon et. al.(1997) of the normal protocol of ELISA Ortho HCV 3.0 Kit. This protocol modification was make two parallel assays for each sample adding new wash step using 6M Urea for one of parallel assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average AI (Avidity index) of 19 HCV seropositive patients found was 55 +/- 23,8%. Also, it was found that three (15,79%) of these patients were in primoinfection stage by HCV, seven (36,84%) were in past o chronic stage and nine (47,36%) were in chronic stage. The new cases ratio calculated for the investigation period was 1/5, this mean that for each five patients diagnosed with HCV, only one was in the acute phase of infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from this study provides new information about epidemiology of HCV in the area.
authors.affiliation: Lic. en Biología, M. Sc. en Microbiología La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. ccuadra73@hotmail.com
authors.forename: César Alfredo
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cuadra Sánchez
authors.forename: Leticia Denys
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Porto-Espinoza
authors.forename: Diana Estela
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Callejas-Monsalve
authors.forename: Reyna María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Moronta-Piñango
authors.forename: Raimy Coromoto
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Mindiola-Morles
authors.forename: Ricardo José
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Atencio-Tello
mesh_terms: D000915:Antibody Affinity; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014687:Venezuela
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G