The Efficiency of Hepatitis C Virus Core Antigen Test in the Diagnosis of Hepatitis C Infection

OZ Objective: It was aimed to investigate diagnostic value of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen test in patients with positive or negative anti-HCV assay by comparing with HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) assay. Materials and Methods: Serum samples obtained from 189 patients who were admitted to Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine between December 2010 and February 2012, and HCV RNA assay were carried out for various reasons. Two mL of samples were stored under suitable conditions and antiHCV, HCV core antigen and strip immunoblot assay [Commercial INNO LIA™ HCV Score (Innogenetics NV in Ghent, Belgium)] were performed. Genotyping was performed in the amplicons of the samples with positive HCV RNA test. Results: The diagnostic sensitivity specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of HCV core antigen test were 96.2%, 100%, 97.3%, and 100%, respectively. Sixty-five serum samples were genotyped and their distribution were detected: Fiftynine samples were genotype 1b, 2-genotype 1a/1b, 1-genotype 3a, 1-genotype 4, 1-genotype 2a/2c, and 1 was genotype 1a. Conclusion: It was concluded that HCV core antigen assay is highly specific, sensitive, reliable, reproducible, and easy to perform. It may be applied as a supplemental and confirmatory test in anti-HCV assays in the diagnosis of HCV.