Roberto Alonso1, Felipe Pérez-García2, Paula López-Roa3, Luis Alcalá3, Pilar Rodeño3, Emilio Bouza4. 1. Servicio de Microbiología Clínica y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. 2. Servicio de Microbiología Clínica y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: felipe.perez.garcia.87@gmail.com. 3. Servicio de Microbiología Clínica y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. 4. Servicio de Microbiología Clínica y Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and the HCV core antigen assay (HCV-Ag) are reliable techniques for the diagnosis of active and chronic HCV infection. Our aim was to evaluate the HCV-Ag assay as an alternative to quantification of HVC RNA. METHODS: A comparison was made of the sensitivity and specificity of an HCV-Ag assay (204 serum samples) with those of a PCR assay, and the correlation between the two techniques was determined. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of HCV-Ag was 76.6% and 100%, respectively. Both assays were extremely well correlated (Pearson coefficient=0.951). The formula (LogCV=1.15*LogAg+2.26) was obtained to calculate the viral load by PCR from HCV-Ag values. HCV-Ag was unable to detect viral loads below 5000IU/mL. CONCLUSION: Although the HCV-Ag assay was less sensitive than the PCR assay, the correlation between both assays was excellent. HCV-Ag can be useful as a first step in the diagnosis of acute or chronic HCV infection and in emergency situations.
INTRODUCTION: Detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and the HCV core antigen assay (HCV-Ag) are reliable techniques for the diagnosis of active and chronic HCV infection. Our aim was to evaluate the HCV-Ag assay as an alternative to quantification of HVC RNA. METHODS: A comparison was made of the sensitivity and specificity of an HCV-Ag assay (204 serum samples) with those of a PCR assay, and the correlation between the two techniques was determined. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of HCV-Ag was 76.6% and 100%, respectively. Both assays were extremely well correlated (Pearson coefficient=0.951). The formula (LogCV=1.15*LogAg+2.26) was obtained to calculate the viral load by PCR from HCV-Ag values. HCV-Ag was unable to detect viral loads below 5000IU/mL. CONCLUSION: Although the HCV-Ag assay was less sensitive than the PCR assay, the correlation between both assays was excellent. HCV-Ag can be useful as a first step in the diagnosis of acute or chronic HCV infection and in emergency situations.
Keywords:
Carga viral; Core-antigen assay; Correlación; Correlation; Ensayo del antígeno del Core del VHC; Hepatitis C virus; Viral load; Virus de la Hepatitis C