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

• Published in: Annals of hematology 1997-03, Vol.74 (3), p.135-137
• Main Authors: DA SILVA CARDOSO, M, STURM, D, KOERNER, K, DENGLER, T, KEROWGAN, M, KUBANEK, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Donors - statistics & numerical data; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Germany - epidemiology; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; Humans; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/s002770050271

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.