QUANTITATIVE BRANCHED DNA ASSAY AND GENOTYPING FOR HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-RNA IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH ACUTE AND CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

To determine the value of a quantitative branched DNA (bDNA) assay for detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, 309 serum specimens were co llected from 100 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis C for detect ion of HCV RNA by bDNA assay and reverse transcription-polymerase chai n reaction (RT-PCR) assay. There were 256 samples positive by RT-PCR; 199 (78%) were also positive by bDNA assay. All but 1 of the remaining 53 samples negative by RT-PCR were also negative by bDNA assay. Combi nation of the two methods clearly demonstrated changes in HCV RNA tite rs during and after interferon (IFN) treatment. The most common genoty pe of HCV infection was Okamoto type II (Simmonds type 1b, 60.0%), fol lowed by type III (type 2a, 16.5%) and type IV (type 2b, 8.2%); mixed or undetermined types were noted in 15.3%. Patients with chronic type II HCV infection tended to have higher HCV RNA titers. These findings suggest that the bDNA assay is a reliable test for HCV RNA.