Differences in HCV antibody patterns in haemodialysis patients infected with the same virus isolate

Eight cases of de novo hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a haemodialysis unit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were retrospectively studied. HCV viraemia was demonstrated by RT nested PCR in seven of the seroconverters. Genotyping showed that six patients were infected with a genotype 1b strain and one with a genotype 1a strain. A phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the HCV core region revealed that five of the six 1b isolates form a separate cluster when compared with other 38 HCV 1b core sequences randomly chosen from the GenBank. The revealed sequence similarities indicated the nosocomial spread of a single HCV strain within the unit. To investigate whether the patients infected with the same viral isolate display similar patterns of antibody response to individual proteins, serial serum samples were examined. A line immunoassay for qualitative and semi-quantitative determination of specific antibodies against recombinant and synthetic HCV antigens was employed. Despite infection with the same virus strain, the patients sera demonstrated different patterns of reactivity against individual structural and nonstructural HCV proteins immediately after seroconversion. For each patient, however, antibody responses remained mostly stable throughout the follow-up of 8 to 24 months.