Improved serodiagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection with synthetic peptide antigen from capsid protein.

AUTOR(ES)

Hosein, B

RESUMO

Cloning and expression of hepatitis C virus have allowed the development of immunoassays to detect hepatitis C virus infection. However, currently available recombinant fusion protein C100-3 assays, based on a nonstructural protein of the virus, are limited in sensitivity, particularly for detecting acute infection. In this report seroconversion panels showed that an assay based on synthetic peptides, derived from immunodominant regions of both capsid and nonstructural proteins, accelerated hepatitis C virus antibody detection by 4-10 weeks. In screening, this enzyme immunoassay increased detection from 47% to 64% in plasmapheresis donors with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (greater than 100 international units per liter), from 15% to 24% in anti-hepatitis B core antigen-positive blood donors, and from 28% to 42% in renal dialysis patients when compared with nonstructural peptide-based assays. The screening assay was repeatedly reactive for 27 of 2902 volunteer blood donor samples (0.93%); four sera reacted only with the capsid antigen. The peptide test distinguished true from false positive results in agreement with recombinant immunoblot assay in 96% of blood donor samples repeatably reactive on a recombinant hepatitis C virus enzyme immunoassay.

Documentos Relacionados

• Synthetic gene for the hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein.
• Serodiagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with an HCV core protein molecularly expressed by a recombinant baculovirus.
• Detection of acute hepatitis C virus infection by ELISA using a synthetic peptide comprising a structural epitope.
• Improved reactivity of hepatitis C virus core protein epitopes in a conformational antigen-presenting system.
• Transient immunoglobulin M antibody response to hepatitis C virus capsid antigen in posttransfusion hepatitis C: putative serological marker for acute viral infection.