Differences in HCV antibody patterns in haemodialysis patients infected with the same virus isolate

Eight cases of de novo hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a haemodialysis unit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were retrospectively studied. HCV viraemia was demonstrated by RT nested PCR in seven of the seroconverters. Genotypi ng showed that six patients were infected with a genotype Ib strain and one with a genotype la strain. A phylogenetic analysis of nucleotide sequences of the HCV core region revealed that five of the six Ib isolates form a se parate cluster when compared with other 38 HCV Ib core sequences randomly c hosen from the GenBank. The revealed sequence similarities indicated the no socomial spread of a single HCV strain within the unit. To investigate whet her the patients infected with the same viral isolate display similar patte rns of antibody response to individual proteins, serial serum samples were examined. A line immunoassay for qualitative and semiquantitative determina tion of specific antibodies against recombinant and synthetic HCV antigens was employed. Despite infection with the same virus strain, the patients se ra demonstrated different patterns of reactivity against individual structu ral and nonstructural HCV proteins immediately after seroconversion. For ea ch patient, however, antibody responses remained mostly stable throughout t he follow-up of 8 to 24 months. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.