Study of Hepatitis C Virus Detection Assays

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus is a small, enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that causes and liver cancer like hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphomas. Aim of the study: to assess different methods in diagnosis HCV infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 426 patients was admitted to Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital, Baghdad-Iraq for surgical operations or renal dialysis from January-2015 to December-2016. Their serum tested for HCV Abs by rapid immunochromatography, Enzyme Linked ImunoSorbent Assay (ELISA), and RIBA test. RESULTS: The study sample was 426 patients, their age was ranged from 15 to 65 years. Males were represented 58% and the rest were females. The serum of all samples has tested by rapid Immunochromatography test. Fifty percent of them showed positive results by this test and the rest were negative. Those fifty serum samples who were positive by Immunochromatography test were reexamined by ELISA test and showed 39out of 50 (78%) were true positive by ELISA test and the rest were negative (P = 0.0001). The positive samples by ELISA have tested by RIBA test that showed 200(80%)were true positive in males and 130(74%)were true positive in females and the rest were false positive (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Early screening of the high risk group of population by highly sensitive test is important to treat infected patients and prevent dissemination among population.