Evaluation of a Minipool Reverse Transcription-PCR Screening Method for the Detection of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Hemodialysis Patients

摘要: The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody among patients on hemodialysis (HD) is consistently higher than in healthy populations, suggesting that dialysis may be at a risk acquiring HCV infection (1). At present, the diagnosis relies mostly immunoserological screening assays (ELISA) because they combine direct evaluation immune anti-HCV response, simplicity both handling and performance, substantially lower cost (2). However, positivity indicate past infection, current or even nonspecific reactivity (3). RNA determination through qualitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) allows detection before any serological alteration, including generation antibodies an increase aminotransferase (4). In fact, several recent studies have demonstrated de novo cases occur HD units absence other parenteral exposure (5). This finding underlines spread need for acute seronegative (6). Until recently, quantitative RT-PCR techniques had no practical application diagnostic laboratories. Recently, commercial kits been developed, offering high reproducibility reliability (7). applying genetic testing by means approved assay to …