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Detection of hepatitis C virus-specific antigens in semen from non-A, non-B hepatitis patients
G J Kotwal1, V K Rustgi, B M Baroudy
1Division of Molecular Virology, James N. Gamble Institute of Medical Research, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Semen samples from nine patients clinically diagnosed as having non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) were tested by an ELISA using antibodies raised in rabbits against HCV-specific antigens. The semen from all nine patients had elevated levels of HCV-specific antigen in comparison to semen from five healthy donors. Semen from five of the nine patients had significant levels of the HCV-specific antigen. Seven of the eight serum samples from these patients were reactive with the standard C-100 HCV ELISA. Eight of these nine patients had serum reactive for HCV-specific antibodies in our ELISA using HCV-specific antigens. This more direct evidence for viral presence supports the earlier epidemiological data suggesting that HCV could be transmitted sexually.
Semen samples from nine patients clinically diagnosed as having non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) were tested by an ELISA using antibodies raised in rabbits against HCV-specific antigens. The semen from all nine patients had elevated levels of HCV-specific antigen in comparison to semen from five healthy donors. Semen from five of the nine patients had significant levels of the HCV-specific antigen. Seven of the eight serum samples from these patients were reactive with the standard C-100 HCV ELISA. Eight of these nine patients had serum reactive for HCV-specific antibodies in our ELISA using HCV-specific antigens. This more direct evidence for viral presence supports the earlier epidemiological data suggesting that HCV could be transmitted sexually.