Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies in a pool of 5 sera: their use in seroepidemiologic studies

In order to evaluate the reduction in the cost of testing for antibodies against hepatitis C (EIA) by the pool method, we tested serum samples from a rural population and from patients in a hemodialysis program. Two thirds of the high risk groups were positive. Pooling reduced the reagent use by 80%...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 1999-09, Vol.32 (5), p.577
Main Authors: Ozaki, K S, Fontes, C J, Fortes, H M, Souto, F J
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Subjects:
Hepatitis C - blood
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood
Humans
Risk Factors
Seroepidemiologic Studies
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Summary:In order to evaluate the reduction in the cost of testing for antibodies against hepatitis C (EIA) by the pool method, we tested serum samples from a rural population and from patients in a hemodialysis program. Two thirds of the high risk groups were positive. Pooling reduced the reagent use by 80% in the rural population and by 13% in the hemodialysis patients. We conclude that pool testing reduces the cost of anti-HCV detection in low-risk groups.
ISSN:0037-8682