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J Clin Microbiol. 1994 October; 32(10): 2613-2615

Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific in vitro antibody secretion by peripheral blood lymphocytes: correlation with progression of disease and HCV RNA in HCV antibody-positive patients.

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U249, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France.

ABSTRACT

Hepatitis C virus-specific in vitro antibody production (HCV IVAP) by peripheral blood lymphocytes in 53 HCV antibody-positive patients was investigated in comparison with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and HCV RNA in serum samples. All 29 HCV IVAP-positive patients were HCV RNA positive; 26 had elevated ALT levels. Among the 24 HCV IVAP-negative patients, 16 were HCV RNA negative, with 12 presenting normal ALT values. These data indicate that HCV IVAP results are highly correlated (P < 0.001) with HCV RNA results and ALT levels. Our study indicates that HCV IVAP can be used as a novel assay in the diagnosis and pathogenesis exploration of HCV infection.