Study on the relationship between HCV-cAg, and HCV-Ab, HCV-RNA and liver function

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between hepatitis C virus core antigen(HCV-cAg) and hepatitis C virus RNA(HCV-RNA), and association between levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT), and HCV-RNA viral load.

MethodsSeventy-eight patients with positive HCV antibody or suspected hepatitis C were divided into the observation group, and another 20 healthy examinees were set as the control group during the same period.The serum levels of HCV-cAg, HCV-RNA, ALT, AST and GGT in two groups were determined by ELISA and fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the relationship among the above parameters were compared.

ResultsIn the observation group, the positive detection rate of HCV-cAg was 41.0%(32/78), the positive detection rate of HCV-RNA was 53.8%(42/78), the difference of which was statistically significant(P < 0.01), and there was a good consistency between the two groups(κ=0.747).The levels of ALT, AST and GGT levels in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group(P < 0.01), but there was no significant correlation with HCV RNA viral load(P>0.05).

ConclusionsThe HCV-cAg and HCV-RNA have good consistency and correlation in the detection of hepatitis C, and can provide valuable basis for the clinical diagnosis of hepatitis C.