Early Antihepatitis C Virus Response with Second—Generation C200/C22 ELISA

Abstract

Detection of early antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) by a new second‐generation C200/C22 anti‐HCV enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a four‐antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (4‐RIBA) was compared with the first‐generation anti‐HCV C100 ELISA using sequential serum samples of 9 recipients who were infected with HCV, as detected by polymerase chain reaction after transfusion of blood products. Within 26 weeks after transfusion, 9/9 (100%) recipients seroconverted with C200/22 ELISA, and 6/9 (67%) seroconverted with C100 ELISA. Compared with C100 ELISA, C200/C22 ELISA seroconversion occurred simultaneously in 3 cases, 5–6 weeks earlier in 3 other cases, and 20 weeks earlier in 1 case. Seven of 9 (78%) recipients became positive, and 2/9 (22%) became indeterminate with 4‐RIBA. In 8 cases with clinical posttransfusion hepatitis non‐A, non‐B (PTH‐NANB), anti‐HCV C200/C22 ELISA seroconversion occurred 2–17 (mean 6) weeks after the onset of hepatitis. In 6 cases of PTH‐NANB, anti‐HCV C100 ELISA seroconversion occurred 2–26 (mean 9) weeks after the onset of hepatitis. It is concluded that the second‐generation C200/C22 ELISA is more sensitive than the C100 ELISA for the detection of antibody during early HCV infection. Indeterminate 4‐RIBA results are found in the early phase of HCV infection.