title: Diagnostic performances of hepatitis C virus-NS4 antigen in patients with different liver pathologies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has emerged as the major pathogen of liver disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to quantitate and evaluate the performance of HCV-NS4 antigen as an alternative approach for confirmation of viremia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detection of HCV-NS4 was assessed in 883 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were used to assess and compare diagnostic accuracy of ELISA for HCV-NS4 with quantitative HCV-RNA as a gold standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCV-NS4 was identified at 27 kDa using Western blot. AUC for HCV-NS4 detection was 0.95 for all patients with different liver pathologies: 0.93 for liver fibrosis (LF), 0.95 for liver cirrhosis (LC) and 0.98 for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mean ± SD (μg/mL) of HCV-NS4 in LF was 94.2 ± 55.6; in LC was 99.3 ± 64.8 and in HCC was 124.9 ± 70.3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV-NS4 antigen detection using ELISA is a reliable test in the confirmation of HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, New Damietta City, Egypt. amattallah@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Abdelfattah M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Attallah
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Omran
authors.forename: Wesam A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Nasif
authors.forename: Mohamed F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Ghaly
authors.forename: Abd El-Raheem R
authors.initials: Ael-R
authors.lastname: El-Shanshoury
authors.forename: Mohga S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Abdalla
authors.forename: Hayat M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sharada
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Farid
authors.forename: Wageh
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El-Shony
authors.forename: El-Sayed M
authors.initials: el-SM
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.forename: Ehab B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: El-Domany
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nour
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eldosoky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004534:Egypt; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D014766:Viremia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; C093542:NS4 protein, hepatitis C virus; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins