Author/Editor		Seme, K; Poljak, M; Avšič-Županc, T
Title		Sodobna diagnostika okužbe z virusom hepatitisa C
Translated title		Current methods for detection of hepatitis C infection
Type		članek
Source		Med Razgl
Vol. and No.		Letnik 33, št. 1
Publication year		1994
Volume		str. 89-103
Language		slo
Abstract		Recently, the principal etiological agent of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis was molecularly cloned from the plasma of an experimentally infected chimpanzee. It was named hepatitis C virus (HCV). The first diagnostic test for the detection of infection was a radioimmunoassay based upon the first generated HCV protein (C10-3). This was soon put into an immunoassay format and in late 1989 it become avaiable as the first generation immunoassay. Subsequently, the second-and third-generation ELISAs were developed by adding more epitopes (C22, C33c, BHC7) to the solid phase of the tests. Since the specificity of ELISA tests is limited especially in a low-risk population it, all positive ELISA results had to be confirmed. Several serological confirmation tests (Western blot, immunoblot assay) using the same epitopes as the ELISAs have been developed. However, the antibody test cannot distinguish non-infectious individuals with resolvent HCV infections from infectious HCV-RNA carriers. Amplification of viral RNA sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the only practical method currently available for demonstrating viremia in patients with HCV infection. The purpose of this article is to present briefly the principles and some important technical details of all available diagnostic methods for the detection of HCV infection.
Descriptors		HEPATITIS C SERODIAGNOSIS HEPATITIS C VIRUS ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY BLOTTING, WESTERN POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION IMMUNOBLOTTING