Hepatitis C virus(H/CV) infection induces host antibody response to different structural and non-structural viral proteins. Immunoblot assays with recombinant viral proteins or synthetic peptides are available to identify specific antibodies.
However,
little is known about the relationship of antibody patterns to viral replication and disease activity.
To investigate the clinical significance of different patterns of antibodies to HCV defined by line immunoassay(LIA) is chronic HCV infection, we compared the results of LIA assay with disease activity and HCV RNA positivity in 133 cases
including
8
healthy carriers, 62 chronic hepatitis,44 liver cirrhosis and 19 hepatocellular carcinoma. Among 133 cases, 128(96%) were antibody-positive for C2 antigen, whereas positive rates of antibody for NS4 and NS5 antigens were 66% and 58%,
respectively.
For
patterns of antibody reactivity were observed ; pattern A[core(+), NS4(+), NS5(+)], patter B[core(+), NS4(+), NS4(-)], pattern C[cor(+), NS4(-), NS5(+)] and pattern D[core(+), NS4(-), NS5(-)]. Pattern A was most frequently observed, and found in
55
cases(41%). Past history of blood transfusion was frequently noted in pattern A and D Pattern D showed lower ant-HCV O.D. out-off and HCV RNA positivity than other patterns, but it was not statistically significant. In chronic hepatitis, serum
ALT
level
was highest in pattern C and lowest in pattern D, although statistically not significant. Serum anti-HCV O.D./cut-off, ALT level in chronic hepatitis and HCV RNA positivity were higher in NS antigen reactive group than non-reactive group. Pattern
D
was
more frequent in healthy carriers. In contrast to healthy carriers, NS reactivity was more than 80% in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Pattern A was most common in chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma,
whereas
pattern B was more frequent than pattern A in liver cirrhosis.
It is suggested that the presence of antibodies to NS epitopes of HCV might be related to viral replication and activity of liver disease.(Korean J Gastroenterol 1994 ; 26 : 833-841)
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