[Serodiagnosis of hepatitis C by a recombinant hepatitis C virus protein].

Anti-HCV prevalence was high in chronic non-A, non-B liver disease. Anti-C100-3 was detected frequently in each category of chronic non-A, non-B liver disease. Antibody to HCV core protein was detected more frequently in 95% with high titers. A significant correlation was observed between the occurrence of high titers of antibody to HCV core and serum HCV RNA positivity. In patients negative by the anti-C100-3 assay, 69% were anti-HCV-positive by the second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and also positive by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Thus, HCV is a major causative agent of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis in Japan.