[Use of synthetic peptides as additional antigens for detecting antibodies to hepatitis C virus]

Peptide fragments of hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein NS4 capable of reacting with anti-HCV in enzyme immunoassay are synthesized. Addition of synthetic peptides to recombinant nucleocapsid HCV antigen absorbed on solid phase notably improves the efficacy of detection of antibodies to HCV in the sera of patients with hepatitis C.