Relationships between Serum ALT Levels, Anti-HCV and HCV RNA
Canan Kulah, Fusun Comert, Elif Aktas, Nagehan Ozlu, Zafer Mengeloglu
article (Uluslararası, Hakemli) | Yazar(lar): Canan Kulah, Fusun Comert, Elif Aktas, Nagehan Ozlu, Zafer Mengeloglu | Yıl: 2007 | Dergi/Kurum: VIRAL HEPATIT DERGISI-VIRAL HEPATITIS JOURNAL | İndeks: WOS.ESCI | Anahtar Kelimeler: Hepatitis C virus, HCV RNA, ALT, anti-HCV — Özet: The investigation of anti-HCV, transamina
The investigation of anti-HCV, transaminase levels, especially alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HCV RNA in sera are the most widely used laboratory methods for the diagnosis of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between anti-HCV positivity, serum ALT levels and HCV RNA, retrospectively.
A total of 528 serum samples, from different patients, submitted to the laboratory for the routine HCV RNA detection test were included in the study. Anti-HCV serological marker was detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay method and HCV RNA was detected by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method.
HCV RNA was found to be positive in 221 of the samples (42%). In the 19 of the total HCV RNA positive samples (8.6%), anti-HCV tests were identified as negative. Anti-HCV was identified as positive in 161 (52.4%) out of 307 serum samples, which were identified as HCV RNA negative. HCV RNA was determined in 194 of the total 355 anti-HCV positive samples (54.6%). It was observed that the ALT levels were in normal limits in 49.3% of HCV RNA positive patients and 62.8% of the anti-HCV positive patients. The ALT levels were higher than 50 IU/mL in 42% of the patients who were identified as both HCV RNA and anti-HCV positive and, in 10.6% of the patients who were identified as HCV RNA negative and anti-HCV positive.
In conclusion, detection of the presence of HCV RNA is a valuable method for identification of patients, especially for the HCV infected patients with normal ALT levels or anti-HCV negative test result. Anti-HCV and ALT levels are not always an appropriate guide for the presence of the HCV infection. Anti-HCV positivity, ALT levels and HCV RNA testing should be assessed together to investigate HCV infections.