Antibody to hepatitis C virus and liver disease in volunteer blood donors

Article Abstract:

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major cause of transfusion-associated hepatitis that is neither hepatitis A nor hepatitis B, and one screening test for the antibody to the virus (anti-HCV) is called the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). However, this test can give false-positive results, suggesting the presence of disease when, in fact, it does not exist. A more specific test is the recombinant immunoblotting assay or RIBA, which determines whether antiviral antibodies present are specifically directed against HCV. To learn more about the specificity of anti-HCV antibodies among blood donors, a study was carried out of a group of 50 donors found to be positive for HCV using ELISA. The subjects' blood was analyzed using the RIBA test. Results showed that 13 of the donors (26 percent) tested positive on RIBA analyses and 6 had indeterminate results with elevated levels of a liver enzyme that indicates disease. Twenty patients had negative RIBA results and normal results on tests of liver enzymes. The 19 patients with positive or indeterminate results underwent liver biopsies to determine whether liver disease was present. The 6 patients whose RIBA patterns were indeterminate had no signs of active hepatitis on biopsy. Of the 13 with positive RIBA tests, 8 were found to have chronic active hepatitis; in 2 cases, signs of cirrhosis (a condition in which fibrous tissue replaces liver tissue) were noted. Blood donors who test HCV-positive with ELISA and then with RIBA should be referred for further medical follow-up, as they could have active liver disease. No statement can be made about those who are positive for HCV on ELISA and then negative on RIBA, as none of them underwent liver biopsy. The anti-HCV RIBA is a useful aid for identifying blood donors with underlying chronic liver disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diagnosis, Testing, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Blood donors, Blood donation, Immunoblotting

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Hepatitis C virus infection in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers

Article Abstract:

Hepatitis is disease that causes inflammation of the liver. There are at least four different strains of hepatitis virus: A, B, C and D. When a person is infected with hepatitis virus, their blood will contain viral antigens (specific virus proteins) and viral DNA (genetic material). This is called the replicative or active stage of infection. After the infection subsides, antibodies (produced during active infection to attack the virus) are still present in the blood, but HBV DNA replication no longer takes place. This is known as the inactive stage of infection. Liver disease occurs in patients with active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. However, some patients in the inactive stage of HBV infection continue to have liver disease. The reason for this is unknown. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been identified as a leading cause of liver disease in patients who do not have active hepatitis A or hepatitis B infections. To examine the possibility that HCV may be responsible for the liver damage observed in patients who are in the inactive stage of HBV infection, blood samples from patients with HBV infection were tested for the presence of HCV. Antibodies against HCV were found in the blood of 11 (8 percent) of 136 patients with active HBV infection, and 7 (35 percent) of 20 patients with chronic inactive HBV infection. However, antibodies to HCV were not found in blood samples of patients who were "healthy" carriers of HBV (people who have HBV antibodies, but no history of symptoms of hepatitis infection). These findings demonstrate that HCV is present in some patients who have HBV infection, and that HCV may be an important cause of liver damage in patients who are in the inactive stage of HBV infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Development and progression, Liver diseases, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis viruses, Hepatitis, Hepatitis C virus

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Antibody to hepatitis C virus in post-transfusion hepatitis

Article Abstract:

Blood-borne viruses can induce hepatitis after transfusion. One previously unidentified virus in this category has been recently isolated and characterized, and has been designated hepatitis C virus (HCV). With the development of an assay test to detect antibodies to HCV (an indication of immune reaction to infection), a retrospective study of stored serum of patients who developed post-transfusion hepatitis was conducted to assess the prevalence of HCV. Sixty-three patients who underwent open-heart surgery in Italy and received transfusions and subsequently developed hepatitis were evaluated for the presence of antibodies to HCV. The assay of a preoperative blood sample revealed that one of the patients was positive for HCV antibodies prior to surgery; of the remaining 62 patients, 58 (93 percent) developed anti-HCV antibodies following blood transfusion. Based on studies of liver function, 17 patients were felt to have recovered from their HCV-induced hepatitis, while 46 progressed to chronic disease, including cirrhosis in some cases. In general, levels of anti-HCV antibodies were lower in those who recovered; in seven patients the anti-HCV antibodies became undetectable. Based on these findings, HCV appears to have been a major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis in Italy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Risk factors, Demographic aspects, Disease transmission, Identification and classification, Blood transfusion, Blood-borne diseases, Bloodborne diseases, Viral antibodies

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