Distinguishing acute from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection based on antibody reactivities to specific HCV structural and nonstructural proteins

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Jan;49(1):54-7. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01064-10. Epub 2010 Nov 17.

Abstract

Currently available serological assays for detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) cannot reliably discriminate acute from chronic HCV infection. We developed a multiplexed, flow-cytometric microsphere immunoassay to measure anti-HCV-IgG reactivities to the core, NS3, NS4, and NS5 HCV recombinant proteins and applied it to 99 serum samples from 24 anti-HCV seroconverters and 141 anti-HCV-IgG and HCV RNA-positive plasma specimens from chronically infected people. Differences in the geometric means or means of signal/cutoff ratios between the two sample sets were statistically significant for all the antigens tested. A multivariate logistic regression model correctly classified the samples in two groups, with a cross-validation accuracy of 90.8% for the acute group and 97.2% for the chronic group. The immunoassay described has the potential to distinguish acute from chronic HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Viral*
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Hepatitis C / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis C / immunology*
  • Hepatitis C Antibodies / blood*
  • Humans
  • Microspheres
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins*
  • Viral Structural Proteins*

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral
  • Hepatitis C Antibodies
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Viral Structural Proteins