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Serotyping of hepatitis C virus in chronic type C hepatitis in Taiwan: Correlation with genotypes

  • Liver, Pancreas and Biliary Tract
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Abstract

To evaluate the usefulness of a new serologic assay to group hepatitis C virus (HCV), genotypes identified by this serotyping method were compared to those identified by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with type-specific primers in 71 Taiwanese patients with chronic type C hepatitis. The group-specific antibodies against different HCV genotypes were detected by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on group-specific recombinant peptides (C14-1 and C14-2) within the NS4 region. Among 71 patients positive for current second-generation HCV antibodies, HCV RNA was detected in 55 patients by PCR with primers from the 5′ untranslating region, and in 52 by genotype-specific PCR. In 49 (89%) of 55 viremic patients, the results of serotyping by ELISA showed complete agreement with those determined by PCR genotyping, and none of the patients showed a group opposite to that of HCV genotype. The positive rate of group-specific antibodies (69/71;97%) was even better than that of the PCR (55/71;78%). We conclude that this new serotyping assay is highly sensitive and specific for the determination of HCV genotypes, and will be useful in future epidemiologic studies, as well for clinical application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Chang-Te St., Taiper, Taiwan 100

    Jia-Horing Kao, Teh-Hong Wang & Ding-Shinn Chen

  2. Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Chang-Te St., Taiper, Taiwan 100

    Ho-Hsiung Lin

  3. Department of Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Chang-Te St., Taiper, Taiwan 100

    Pei-Jer Chen & Ming-Yang Lai

  4. Department of Hepatitis Research Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 1 Chang-Te St., Taiper, Taiwan 100

    Ding-Shinn Chen

  5. Second Department of Medicine, Nagoya City University Medical School, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-ku, 467, Nagoya, Japan

    Masashi Mizokami

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  1. Jia-Horing Kao
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Kao, JH., Lin, HH., Chen, PJ. et al. Serotyping of hepatitis C virus in chronic type C hepatitis in Taiwan: Correlation with genotypes. J Gastroenterol 31, 224–227 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389521

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02389521

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