Evaluation of assay methods and false positive results in the laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection.

Recep Kesli

Abstract

Evaluation of assay methods and false positive results in the laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection routinely performed in the microbiologylaboratories is based on the detection of serum antibodies against hepatitis Cvirus (anti-HCV) by two main methods: enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and chemiluminescenceimmunoassay (CIA). Different reactives built on these two methods weremanufactured and are still in use for the diagnosis of HCV infections. The most commonproblem in the laboratory screening assay of anti-HCV is the false positivity oflow titers. A confirmatory test is needed to discriminate the false positive results fromthe accurate ones. A lot of discussions focused on deciding a reliable, easy-to-use andcost-effective confirmative test method in order to check and confirm the results ofanti-HCV reactives routinely used in the detection of serum anti-HCV level.

Author(s): Recep Kesli

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