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Hepatitis C virus seroconversion by a third generation ELISA screening test in blood donors
Journal of Clinical Pathology
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody screening using ELISA showed seroconversion in some blood donors, but confirmatory RIBA tests were negative. Further testing found no detectable HCV RNA, suggesting ELISA results were not due to actual HCV infection.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody screening is crucial for blood safety.
- Discrepant results between ELISA screening and confirmatory RIBA assays require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the significance of ELISA-detected HCV antibody seroconversion with negative RIBA results.
- To determine if these seroconversions indicate actual HCV infection.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 118,220 blood donor records for ELISA-positive, RIBA-negative results.
- Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for HCV RNA on paired serum samples from 29 donors.
Main Results:
- 43 donors showed ELISA seroconversion but negative RIBA-3 results.
- Nested PCR detected no HCV RNA in any of the 58 tested serum samples.
Conclusions:
- Absence of detectable viraemia suggests ELISA seroconversion was not caused by Hepatitis C virus infection.
- Further investigation is needed to understand the cause of these discrepant serological results.