聚合酶链反应检测血清及肝脏中丙型肝炎病毒核糖核酸的研究

本文报道了简便快速检测血清及肝脏中丙型肝炎病毒核糖核酸(HCV RNA)的聚合酶链反应(PCR)方法。检测单浆献血员61例,其中抗-HCV阳性30例,检出血清HCV RNA阳性者17例;抗-HCV阴性31例,检出血清HCV RNA阳性者9例。检测6例血清HCV RNA阴性、抗-HCV阳性丙型肝炎患者的肝穿标本,发现4例HCV RNA阳性。说明本文所建立的PCR方法是诊断HCV感染的特异性强、敏感度高的一种新方法。检测肝组织内的HCV RNA可提高HCV RNA的检出率。本文还对标本的处理及如何避免假阳性等问题进行了讨论。     

Confirmation of guideline-defined hepatitis C screening strategies within the ‘Check-Up35+’ examination in the primary care setting

Background and Aims

Screening strategies for undiagnosed infections are fundamental for hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination. We previously investigated HCV prevalence and screening strategies in an urban primary care setting. IV drug abuse, blood transfusion before 1992, immigration, or elevated ALT were identified as risk factors in a post hoc analysis and diagnosed 83% of unknown HCV-RNA-positive cases by screening only 26% of the population. We aimed to validate prospectively the proposed screening algorithm in two independent urban and rural cohorts and to analyse for potential differences.

Methods

Anti-HCV and ALT were included in a routine check-up together with a questionnaire covering risk factors. HCV-RNA was analysed in anti-HCV-positive individuals.

Results

In urban and rural areas, 4323 and 9321 individuals were recruited. The anti-HCV prevalence was 0.56% and 0.49%, and 0.1% of patients were HCV-RNA-positive in both regions. Fifty-two anti-HCV positive patients including eight HCV-RNA-positive cases were unaware of the infection (number needed to screen to detect one unknown anti-HCV-positive individual: 262). At least one of the three aforementioned risk factors or elevated serum ALT was present in 3000 patients (22%). Restricting HCV screening to only those with risk factors, 52% and 75% of all anti-HCV and HCV-RNA-positive undiagnosed patients were identified (number needed to screen: 111).

Conclusions

We confirm prospectively the efficiency of a risk-based HCV screening. The risk-based algorithm should be evaluated in other countries with similarly low HCV prevalence as in Germany to achieve WHO HCV elimination goals.     

Serum HBcrAg and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Taiwanese Population Seronegative for HBsAg and Anti-HCV

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