IngentaConnect A Comparative Evaluation of the Sensitivity of Five Anti-Hepatiti...

Authors: Couroucé, A. M.¹; Noel, L.²; Barin, F.³; Elghouzzi, M. H.⁴; Lunel, F.⁵; North, M. L.⁶; Smilovici, W.⁷

Source: Vox Sanguinis, Volume 74, Number 4, June 1998 , pp. 217-224(8)

Abstract:

Background and Objectives: In order to compare sensitivity, five anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) immunoblot assays were tested (Deciscan plus, Inno-Lia III, Matrix, Murex Western blot and RIBA-3). Materials and Methods: The test panel (50 samples for each assay) included 6 anti-HCV-negative samples and 44 samples from 36 HCV-infected subjects. Results: There were minor differences in core reactivity among the assays. The smallest number of NS3-reactive results occurred with the Murex and Matrix assays, and the smallest number of NS4 reactives with RIBA-3 and Matrix. Among the 20 discrepant results for NS5 there was one clear false-negative with Inno-Lia. Only 28 of the 50 samples of the panel gave the same results in all the assays: 5 negatives and 23 positives. One of the 6 negative samples was indeterminate in 3 assays. Eighteen of the 21 other divergent results were interpreted as either indeterminate or positive, a common reactivity being exhibited by all 5 assays. The most important discrepancies occurred on 3 HCV-RNA-positive samples which came up negative in some assays: 2 samples with isolated NS3 reactivity were negative by Matrix and Murex Western blot, 1 of them being also negative by Inno-Lia III; another sample was negative by RIBA-3 and Matrix due to weak signals (<1) on core and NS3 proteins, which did not exceed 1+ with the other assays. Conclusions: With more uniform criteria for interpretation, the results would have been less divergent. Some assays should improve their sensitivity to the NS3 protein.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1423-0410.1998.7440217.x

Affiliations: 1: Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Versailles, France 2: Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine, Versailles, France 3: Virologie, Centre Hospitalier, Tours, France 4: Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine, Rungis, France 5: Virologie, Centre Hospitalier, Angers, France 6: Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine, Strasbourg, et, France 7: Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine, Toulouse, France

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A Comparative Evaluation of the Sensitivity of Five Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Immunoblot Assays