The serology of hepatitis C virus in relation to post-transfusion hepatitis.

Natural history studies conducted over the past 15 years have shown that parenterally transmitted non-A non-B hepatitis infection frequently results in an indolent chronic disease with serious long-term consequences. The recent identification of nucleic acid sequences comprising the genome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has allowed the development of a serological assay based upon recombinant viral proteins specifically associated with the major agent of non-A, non-B hepatitis infection. The HCV antibody assays have now been applied to sera from blood donors worldwide, as well as various population samples with increased hepatitis risk in the course of clinical trials conducted in both Europe and the United States. Data from these studies provide further encouragement that assays based on the hepatitis C virus recombinant proteins are highly specific for the major agent of non-A non-B hepatitis and will provide a firm basis for blood donor screening and future diagnostic tests.