COMPARISON OF 2ND-GENERATION SCREENING AND CONFIRMATORY ASSAYS WITH RECOMBINANT ANTIGENS AND SYNTHETIC PEPTIDES AGAINST ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS - A STUDY IN RENAL PATIENTS

The aim of this study was to compare some common tests which are nowad ays routinely used to screen and to confirm anti-HCV antibodies in ren al patients. There was agreement between Ortho 2 and Abbott 2 in 94% o f samples; structural and nonstructural beads of the Abbott supplement ary assay were in agreement with 4-RIBA in 98 and in 85% of samples, r espectively; 61% of Ortho 2 samples and 65% of Abbott 2 samples were c onfirmed by 4-RIBA; there was a correlation between semiquantitative a nalysis of screening tests (Ortho 2 and Abbott 2) and positive results by 4-RIBA; 36 and 33% of Ortho-2- and Abott-2-positive samples were 4 -RIBA indeterminate: in these instances more sophisticated techniques (polymerase chain reaction) (PCR) could be useful as a third-level ass ay. The comparison between Ortho 2, based on recombinant antigens, and Innotest, based on synthetic peptides, showed agreement only in 44% o f samples, but this preliminary comparison cannot afford definitive co nclusions. These findings suggest that second-generation assays may so metimes yield conflicting results in renal patients. These contradicti ons will be resolved by new HCV tests or PCR.