title: Clinical applications of antibody avidity and immunoglobulin M testing in acute HCV infection.
abstract: Acute hepatitis C is often asymptomatic, frequently remains undiagnosed and frequently evolves to chronic hepatitis. Early, short-term interferon treatment is efficacious in acute hepatitis C, and so underscores the importance of an early diagnosis and the need to distinguish acute infection from acute exacerbation of chronic HCV infection. The gold standard for the diagnosis of acute hepatitis C is demonstration of conversion to anti-HCV positivity, HCV RNA positivity or both, events that frequently occur before the patient comes to medical attention. Several laboratory approaches to assist with early diagnosis of acute hepatitis C have been developed. Our studies, reviewed here, show that testing for antibody avidity and anti-HCV immunoglobulin M allow diagnosis in up to 90% of cases of acute hepatitis C.
authors: Department of Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy. evangelista.sagnelli@unina2.it
authors: Evangelista
authors: E
authors: Sagnelli
authors: Gilda
authors: G
authors: Tonziello
authors: Mariantonietta
authors: M
authors: Pisaturo
authors: Caterina
authors: C
authors: Sagnelli
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Coppola
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral