Anti-HCV envelope prevalence in blood donors from Baden-Württemberg.

We assess the diagnostic value of the recombinant antigens E1/E2 (heterodimer) and E2 for the screening of blood donors. For this purpose an ELISA assay was developed which used these recombinant glycoproteins as solid antigens on the microtiter plates. The anti-E1/E2 assay was able to detect 80% of the positive samples by Matrix and 87% of the PCR-positive samples. Anti-E2 was less sensitive. Fifteen percent of the indeterminate samples were anti-E1/E2 and 8% anti-E2 positive. In the case of the indeterminate samples there was no coincidence of results between these assays and the PCR. Fifty percent of seroconverters showed an anti-E1/E2-positive result with a previous indeterminate donation. We conclude that the recombinant envelope proteins, mainly anti-E1/E2, might be used in future in the diagnostics of HCV infection to increase the sensitivity of the currently used assays.