[Hepatitis C virus in the aqueous humor].

Since a method for detecting hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody has been established, many cases of non-A non-B sporadic and post-transfusion hepatitis are now known to have been caused by HCV. It is important to take steps against the nosocomial transmission of HCV as with the hepatitis B virus. Sera from patients in our ophthalmological clinic were tested for the presence of HCV antibody during the seven months from Oct. 1991 to Apr. 1992, utilizing C-100-3 antigen. We then searched for the presence of HCV in human aqueous humor among HCV antibody positive patients at the time of cataract surgery, utilizing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. HCV antibody was found in 11 of 226 cases (4.9%); aqueous humor of six eyes from 5 of these cases tested with PCR showed negative results.