Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus in blood donors, high-risk groups and patients with liver diseases in Hungary. A multicentre study using ABBOTT EIA test and a comparison with an ORTHO ELISA test system.

Serum samples from 1185 individuals (blood donors, health-care workers, patients on haemodialysis, those from other high-risk groups and those suffering from non-A, non-B hepatitis or other liver diseases) were examined for antibody to a recombinant HCV antigen. An ABBOTT HCV EIA system was used throughout and in addition a parallel study with ORTHO HCV ELISA was done in 380 of the samples to compare the two anti-HCV tests. A confirmatory neutralizing ABBOTT ELISA probe was also performed in 45 cases. The anti-HCV test was positive in 1.60% of the healthy blood donors and in 9% of subjects excluded from donation for elevated aminotransferase. In patients on haemodialysis 47%, in other high-risk-group subjects 33% anti-HCV prevalence was found. Patients with acute and chronic post-transfusion NANB hepatitis showed 40% and 70% prevalence, respectively. The two ELISA tests revealed 95% agreement in the parallel determinations. Serial end-point-dilution studies of anti-HCV-positive sera suggest that the ABBOTT test was of superior sensitivity. The results of the confirmatory test suggest that reactive (positive) samples of low optical density near to the cut-off value, required a confirmation with the naturalization test. HCV infection seems to be a common aetiological factor in PT-NANB hepatitis in Hungary, therefore, screening of blood donors for anti-HCV may be justified.