[Screening tests for anti-HCV antibodies: comparative results].

Comparative results between anti-HCV screening tests have shown better performances with 2nd generation tests than with 1st generation assays, since anti-C100-3 antibodies are less reliable and less durable than anti-C33 c and anti-C22-3 antibodies. Comparison between the four 2nd generation commercialized assays (Ortho, Abbott, Pasteur, Ubi-Organon) done on the hepatitis study group panel and on 109 samples from 18 patients collected before, during and after anti-HCV seroconversion, has shown similar results for most of the samples but some discordances on samples with isolated anti-C100-3 or anti-C33 c antibodies. For the 18 patients, 3 discordances were observed between the four assays. These three discordances concerned 3 of the 6 seroconversions with anti-C33-c as the first detectable antibody. In two cases, Ubi-Organon assay did not recognize the seroconversion as early as the 3 other assays; in another case, it was the Pasteur assay which answered later than the other assays. As for the 15 other patients, no difference was observed between the four assays, in particular when anti-C22-3 was one of the first detectable antibodies.