Abstract
Several diagnostic hepatitis C assays have been developed for the detection of antibodies to different antigens of the virus. This virus is the major cause of non‐A, non‐B hepatitis. Seventynine patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis and/or hemofiltration were tested for the presence of anti‐HCV antibodies (anti‐C‐100‐3 antibodies and anti‐core antibodies), anti‐hepatitis B core antibodies (anti‐HBc), and aminotransferases (ALT). Seven patients were positive by one or more of the anti‐HCV enzyme linked immunoassays (EIAs), while HCV‐RNA was detectable in only four patients. These four patients had at least one, but not necessarily the same, positive anti‐HCV EIA. HCV‐RNA was not detected in patients who had no antibodies as determined by all six anti‐HCV EIAs. All patients with a marker for HCV infection had persistent normal levels of transaminases. Three patients had elevated ALT values without a marker for HCV infection and suffered from hepatitis B virus infection. Anti‐HBc was detected in 27/72 patients without any marker and in four patients with a marker of HCV infection. However, HCV‐RNA was detectable in only one of these four anti‐HBc positive patients. It is concluded that surrogate markers (anti‐HBc and serum transaminases) are not useful for identification of HCV carriers in chronic hemodialysis patients.