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- Title
Antibody to hepatitis C virus and liver disease in volunteer blood donors.
- Authors
Alberti, Alfredo; Chemello, Liliana; Cavalletto, Daniela; Tagger, Alessandro; Canton, Alessandro Dal; Bizzaro, Nicola; Tagariello, Giuseppe; Ruol, Arture; Alberti, A; Chemello, L; Cavalletto, D; Tagger, A; Dal Canton, A; Bizzaro, N; Tagariello, G; Ruol, A
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>To evaluate the specificity of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and their relation to liver disease in blood donors.<bold>Design: </bold>Case series of consecutive blood donors found positive for anti-HCV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were evaluated for antibody specificity using a recombinant immunoblotting assay (RIBA) and were evaluated for biochemical evidence of liver disease. Patients showing increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels had a liver biopsy.<bold>Setting: </bold>University hospital.<bold>Participants: </bold>Fifty consecutive blood donors found to be anti-HCV positive on both an initial and repeat ELISA. Inclusion criteria were as follows: an absence of hepatitis B surface antigens and non-organ-specific autoantibodies; a daily alcohol intake of less than 50 g; no history of recent hepatotoxic drug use; and normal serum levels of alpha 1 antitrypsin, ceruloplasmin, and copper.<bold>Main Results: </bold>Anti-HCV positivity was confirmed by RIBA in only 13 of 50 donors (26%) who had positive ELISA results. These 13 donors had an elevated ALT level and histologic evidence of chronic hepatitis, which was active in 8 patients (62%) and had already produced cirrhosis in 2 patients (15%). In contrast, the 17 donors with an intermediate RIBA pattern had only mild and often nonspecific histologic liver abnormalities. The 20 patients with a negative RIBA result had normal ALT levels.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>In blood donors, the anti-HCV RIBA is not only more specific than the anti-HCV ELISA, but is also useful in identifying patients who have an underlying chronic liver disease.
- Subjects
HEPATITIS C treatment; RECOMBINANT antibodies; LIVER diseases; HEPATITIS C diagnosis; BIOPSY; CHRONIC diseases; ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay; HEPATITIS C; HEPATITIS viruses; IMMUNOBLOTTING; VIRAL antibodies
- Publication
Annals of Internal Medicine, 1991, Vol 114, Issue 12, p1010
- ISSN
0003-4819
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.7326/0003-4819-114-12-1010