Open AccessPerformance characteristics of a combined hepatitis C virus core antigen and anti–hepatitis C virus antibody test in different patient groups
Author(s) -
Yang JengFu,
Lin YaYun,
Hsieh MengHsuan,
Tsai ChiuHung,
Liu ShuFen,
Yu MingLung,
Dai ChiaYen,
Huang JeeFu,
Lin WenYi,
Lin ZuYau,
Chen ShinnChern,
Chuang WanLong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the kaohsiung journal of medical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.439
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2410-8650
pISSN - 1607-551X
DOI - 10.1016/j.kjms.2010.11.007
Subject(s) - hepatitis c virus , medicine , antibody , virology , hepatitis c , immunoassay , hepacivirus , antigen , uremia , virus , immunology
Abstract We evaluated the performance of a hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigen/antibody combination test [Murex HCV Antigen/Antibody Combination Test (Murex Ag/Ab test)] by comparing it with the current third‐generation HCV antibody enzyme immunoassay (anti‐HCV). A total of 403 serum samples were consecutively collected from four patient groups: healthy controls ( n = 100); HCV‐infected patients (HCV group, n = 102); Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV‐infected patients (HIV/HCV group, n = 100); and patients with uremia (uremia group, n = 101). Performances were evaluated for the Murex Ag/Ab, anti‐HCV, and HCV RNA in the HIV/HCV and uremia patient groups. In the HCV group, all 102 samples showed concordant positive and negative results for anti‐HCV, Murex Ag/Ab, and HCV RNA tests. In the HIV/HCV group, all 100 samples were positive for both anti‐HCV and Murex Ag/Ab tests, whereas 88 patients (88%) were HCV RNA positive. In the uremia group, 14 (69.0%) of the 23 anti‐HCV‐positive patients were HCV RNA positive, whereas 14 (77.8%) of the 18 Murex Ag/Ab–positive patients were HCV RNA positive. None of anti‐HCV‐negative or Murex Ag/Ab–negative patients were HCV RNA positive. Based on the HCV RNA assay, the sensitivities for both anti‐HCV and Murex Ag/Ab assays were 100%, whereas the specificities of these two assays were 89.7% and 95.4%, respectively. With good sensitivity and specificity, the Murex Ag/Ab assay could be a useful alternative diagnostic tool, especially in immunocompromised populations, such as patients with uremia or those infected with HIV.