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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
[Analysis of Anti-HCV Confirmatory Test and Nucleic Acid Quantitative Test Results in Blood Center Laboratory]
Ya-Zi Zhao1, Xian-Yuan Wang1, Xue-Feng Han1
1Department of Clinical Laboratory Examination, Hebei Blood Center, Shijiazhuang 050071， Hebei Province, China.
Objective:
To understand the situation of Hepatitis C infection among voluntary blood donors, and to provide decision-making basis for the screening and control of Hepatitis C in blood collection and supply institutions.
Methods:
The unqualified anti-HCV ELISA samples from voluntary blood donors in our center from 2020 to 2023 were selected, and the results of western blot (WB) test and nucleic acid quantitative test were compared and analyzed.
Results:
Among the 444 samples for WB test, WB results were positive in 276 cases (62.16%), uncertain in 53 cases (11.94%) and negative in 115 cases (25.90%). Among the positive results of WB, 58 cases (21.01%) were full band type, there were 58 cases (21.01%) with 4 bands, there were 45 cases (16.30%) with 3 bands, there were 80 cases with 2 bands (28.99%), only Core bands were found in 35 cases (12.68%). Among the positive results of WB, the positive rate of Core was 96.01%, followed by NS3-1 (80.07%), NS3-2 (51.09%), NS4 (40.94%) and NS5 (40.58%), the positive rates of different bands were statistically significant (P <0.01). 143 WB positive results and nucleic acid quantitative results were compared and analyzed, there was a statistically significant difference in the detection rate of different band types of nucleic acid P <0.01). The quantitative detection rates of Core, NS3-1, NS3-2, NS4 and NS5 in the positive group were higher than those in the negative group, and the differences were statistically significant. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that NS3-2(OR=15.171，95%CI:3.720-61.874，P <0.01) and NS5(OR=4.511，95%CI:1.228-16.573， P <0.05) were independent risk factors for HCV nucleic acid detection after adjusting other variables.
Conclusion:
Analysis of the characteristics of WB positive bands can provide additional information for assessing the virus replication status. NS3-2 and NS5 status can be used as important reference indicators to predict the virus replication, suggesting the risk of infection in blood donors, assisting blood collection and supply institutions to make screening decisions and optimize the detection process.
