Discrepant results of different tests for antibodies to hepatitis C in children with malignant diseases and in patients on renal replacement therapy.

The serostatus of hepatitis C in pediatric oncological patients and in individuals on renal replacement therapy was tested for circulating antibodies to the c100-3 recombinant antigen of hepatitis C. Upon prescreening, 12 of 82 patients in the pediatric oncological group, 6 of 108 renal transplant recipients, and 17 of 150 patients on chronic intermittent hemodialysis were repeatedly positive. Further testing of these 35 sera by supplemental test assays revealed conflicting data, mostly in the pediatric oncological group and in renal transplant recipients. Only in 10 sera were identical results obtained, suggesting that positive test results in some groups at risk have only a low predictive value.