Early antihepatitis C virus response with second-generation C200/C22 ELISA

Detection of early antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) by a new second-generation C200/C22 anti-HCV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (4-RIBA) was compared with the first-generation anti-HCV C100 ELISA using sequential serum samples of 9 recipients who were infected with HCV, as detected by polymerase chain reaction after transfusion of blood products. Within 26 weeks after transfusion, 9/9 (100%) recipients seroconverted with C200/22 ELISA, and 6/9 (67%) seroconverted with C100 ELISA. Compared with C100 ELISA, C200/C22 ELISA seroconversion occurred simultaneously in 3 cases, 5-6 weeks earlier in 3 other cases, and 20 weeks earlier in 1 case. Seven of 9 (78%) recipients became positive, and 2/9 (22%) became indeterminate with 4-RIBA. In 8 cases with clinical posttransfusion hepatitis non-A, non-B (PTH-NANB), anti-HCV C200/C22 ELISA seroconversion occurred 2-17 (mean 6) weeks after the onset of hepatitis. In 6 cases of PTH-NANB, anti-HCV C100 ELISA seroconversion occurred 2-26 (mean 9) weeks after the onset of hepatitis. It is concluded that the second-generation C200/C22 ELISA is more sensitive than the C100 ELISA for the detection of antibody during early HCV infection. Indeterminate 4-RIBA results are found in the early phase of HCV infection.