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[Hepatitis C diagnostics: clinical evaluation of the HCV-core antigen determination]

J van Helden1, R Weiskirchen2

  • 1MVZ Dr. Stein und Kollegen, Mönchengladbach.

Zeitschrift Fur Gastroenterologie
|October 15, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen testing shows high correlation with HCV RNA levels, offering a sensitive and specific method for diagnosing and monitoring HCV infections, including acute and chronic cases.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Immunology
  • Diagnostic Medicine

Background:

  • Hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnostics traditionally rely on antibody detection, with HCV RNA PCR used for monitoring treatment and viral activity.
  • The clinical utility of HCV-core antigen testing in routine diagnostics requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of HCV-core antigen testing in the daily diagnosis and monitoring of HCV infections.
  • To compare HCV-core antigen assay performance with established methods like HCV RNA PCR and antibody testing.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of routine HCV-core antigen test requests from a private laboratory over a two-year period.
  • Correlation analysis between HCV-core antigen levels and quantitative HCV RNA measurements.
  • Assessment of diagnostic window, sensitivity, and specificity of the HCV-core antigen assay.

Main Results:

  • HCV-core antigen determination showed a strong correlation with quantitative HCV RNA (r=0.73, p=0.0003).
  • The diagnostic window for HCV-core antigen was comparable to HCV RNA PCR (27.1±12.8 days vs. 23.9±9.2 days, p=0.11).
  • The assay demonstrated high sensitivity (99.0%) and specificity (99.2%), with 54.3% of antibody-positive samples also testing antigen-positive.

Conclusions:

  • HCV-core antigen assay is a valuable tool for detecting chronic active HCV infections.
  • It aids in the early diagnosis of acute HCV infections and testing in immunocompromised patients.
  • The HCV-core antigen assay serves as a valuable complement to existing serological testing for HCV.
Abstract

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