Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1998, 186 (4)

Serological and Histological Features of Anti-HCV-Positive Individuals without Serum HCV RNA

ATSUSHI KANNO, MIKI YAMADA, KAZUHIRO MURAKAMI1 and NOBORU NUMATA2

Department of Internal Medicine and 1Department of Pathology, Tohoku Koseinenkin Hospital, and 2Department of Microbiology, Sendai Municipal Institute of Public Health, Sendai 983-8512

  • Antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in patients who are negative for HCV RNA in serum may indicate a memory of past infection of HCV. However, their clinical features have not been well understood. Fourteen anti-HCV-positive but HCV RNA-negative individuals were examined for serological and histological features. As a result, it was found that they had only antibody to HCV core antigen C22-3 with or without antibody to nonstructural viral antigen C33c on a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA), and that an concentration of anti-C22 was low. Liver biopsy showed two having no evidence of an obvious hepatic injury, two having a minimal change, and two having portal fibrosis. HCV RNA was not found in the liver. These results corroborate an idea that the anti-HCV in HCV RNA-negative individuals implies a past infection of HCV. Furthermore, it is suggested that a combination of an appearance pattern of antibody to HCV antigens on RIBA and anti-C22 titer are an useful marker to distinguish anti-HCV-positive individuals without viremia from those with viremia.
    Key words--- anti-HCV; HCV RNA; RIBA; anti-C22
    © 1998 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1998, 186, 303-311
    Address for reprints: Atsushi Kanno, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Tohoku Koseinenkin Hospital, 12-1 Fukumuro 1-cho-me, Miyagino-ku, Sendai 983-8512, Japan.

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