Incidence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in blood donors, high risk patient groups, liver diseases and health professionals. Multicenter study of the ABBOT ELISA method, comparison with the ORTHO test

Serum samples from 1185 individuals (blood donors, health care workers, patients on haemodialysis or from other high risk groups or with non-A, non-B NANB] hepatitis and other liver diseases) were examined for antibody to a recombinant antigen of hepatitis c virus (anti-HCV). A new ABBOTT HCV EIA system was used and a parallel study with ORTHO HCV ELISA was also done for 380 samples to compare the two anti-HCV tests. A confirmatory neutralizing ABBOTT ELISA probe was also performed in 45 cases. Anti-HCV seropositivity was found in 1.60% of accepted healthy blood donors, while among subjects excluded from donation for elevated aminotransferase the rate was 8.95%. In patients on haemodialysis 47.15% anti-HCV prevalence was found, in other high risk group subjects 32.5%. Patients with acute post-transfusion (PT) NANB hepatitis showed 40% prevalence, this rate in chronic PT-NANB was 77.8%. The two ELISA tests revealed 95% agreement in the parallel determinations. Serial dilution studies of anti-HCV positive sera showed that ABBOTT test was of superior sensitivity. The results of the confirmatory test suggest that reactive (positive) samples of low optical density near to the cut-off value require a confirmation with the neutralization test. In conclusion HCV infection in Hungary seems to be a common aetiologic factor in PT-NANB hepatitis and the screening of blood donors for anti-HCV may be useful. However, because of financial difficulties, cost/benefit calculations are recommended before the introduction of this preventive measure.