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Abstract Details
Relationship between hepatitis C virus (HCV) IgG index values and quantitative HCV RNA results in HCV IgG-reactive serum samples
Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2021 Jan 19;100(1):115311. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115311.Online ahead of print.
Harry E Prince1, Elizabeth M Marlowe2, Dale S Schwab2
Author information
1Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, USA. Electronic address: harry.e.prince@questdiagnostics.com.
2Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675, USA.
Abstract
Centers for Disease Control guidelines recommend hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA testing of all HCV IgG-reactive samples, although earlier studies found that IgG-reactive samples with low indices were negative in qualitative RNA assays. To determine if previous study results could be confirmed using current real-time RT-PCR technology, we investigated the relationship between HCV IgG index (Ortho VITROS) and quantitative HCV RNA results (cobas HCV) for 2368 consecutive IgG-reactive sera. Results were segregated into Low (1.00-16.0), Medium (16.1-30.0), and High (>30.0) IgG index groups. Although median viral load (VL) of RNA-positive samples was similar in all 3 groups, the percentage with low VL (1.18-4.16 log IU/mL) was increased for the Low group. Further analysis of the Low group revealed that 23 of 370 (6%) samples with IgG indices ≤8.00 were RNA-positive, and 13/23 (57%) had low VL. Our analysis supports the Centers for Disease Control recommendation to test all HCV IgG-reactive sera for HCV RNA.