These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: [Detection of hepatitis C virus antigen in hemodialysis patients].
    Author: Wu RH.
    Journal: Zhonghua Shi Yan He Lin Chuang Bing Du Xue Za Zhi; 2009 Jun; 23(3):232-4. PubMed ID: 20104788.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of the HCV core antigen ELISA in the detection of HCV infection in hemodialysis patients and to compare with Anti-HCV antibodies 3rd generation ELISA. METHODS: Two hundred fifty hemodialysis patients were included in the study. Anti-HCV antibodies and total HCVcAg was determined by ELISA kits. HCV RNA was determined using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Forty-three out of 250 (17.2%) patients were positive for anti-HCV antibodies and 18% were positive for HCVcAg. 13/250 (5.2%) were positive for HCVcAg but anti-HCV negative, All 13 were confirmed viremic by in-house nested RT-PCR leading to specificity of 100%. Viral load of (49258 +/- 28682) copies/ml were detected in HCVcAg positive cases was higher in comparison to (23938 +/- 10780) copies/ml in the anti-HCV positive group (P < 0.05). The viral load of 4 negative cases for HCVcAg assay but anti-HCV positive was 306 +/- 161 copies/ml which was significantly lower in comparison to HCVcAg positive group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Detection of total HCVcAg together with anti-HCV will be useful for patients undergoing hemodialysis who have a longer window period due to immunosuppressed state. HCVcAg was compatible for the HCV RNA in serum and total HCVcAg ELISA is both a cost-effective and a less labor-intensive alternative to PCR, enhancing its clinical utility.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]