Author information
1Lawson Unit, Department of HIV and Sexual Health, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE, United Kingdom.
2Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, BN1 9PX, United Kingdom Lawson Unit, Department of HIV and Sexual Health, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE, United Kingdom.
3Department of Virology/Microbiology & Infection, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE, United Kingdom.
Abstract
Hepatitis C (HCV) is increasingly common amongst HIV-positive men-who-have-sex-with-men. We evaluated the efficacy of HCV core-antigen in diagnosing acute HCV in an HIV-positive cohort. Compared with HCV polymerase-chain-reaction core-antigen proved sensitive (100%) and specific (97.9%). As a quick, simple and cost-effective test it has considerable utility in screening for acute HCV.