SIMULTANEOUS AMPLIFICATION AND DETECTION OF SPECIFIC HEPATITIS-B VIRUS AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS GENOMIC SEQUENCES IN SERUM SAMPLES

A sensitive and specific two-stage polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tec hnique was developed for the simultaneous amplification and detection of specific genomic sequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in serum samples. Initially, HCV-RNA was reverse transc ribed to cDNA. This cDNA and DNA from HBV were then co-amplified using primer pairs derived from conserved regions of HBV and HCV nucleotide sequences. The specificity of PCR products was confirmed by liquid hy bridization analysis using P-32 end-labeled oligomer probes specific f or the target HBV and HCV nucleotide sequences. Independent human seru m samples, positive and negative by PCR for both HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA, were used as controls. We tested sera from nine donors, of which seven were reactive for HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HCV (multi-antigen test), one of whom was reactive for anti-HCV and anti-HBc, and one of whom w as reactive for HBsAg and anti-HBc. The assay detected HBV- and HCV-sp ecific genomic sequences in eight of eight sera reactive for both HBV and HCV serological markers and also in the serum that was reactive fo r HBV markers only. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.