Kotsiou G, McCormack J
Department of Microbiology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, NSW.
Med J Aust. 1994 Jul 18;161(2):145-8.
To describe some inherent difficulties in the interpretation of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody testing.
A 30-year-old carpark attendant sustained an accidental needlestick injury. The results of serological and biochemical investigations were suggestive of HCV infection but were not conclusive.
Further testing was carried out on his stored sera in an attempt to establish a diagnosis. Two second generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests (Abbott and Ortho) gave differing results but were suggestive of seroconversion and subsequent seroreversion to HCV. Further testing with recombinant immunoblot assay and polymerase chain reaction did not resolve the issue.
Our findings in this patient illustrate how the use of anti-HCV antibody tests in some clinical settings can result in confusion and misdiagnosis. These tests should be restricted to situations in which diagnostic usefulness has been established.
描述丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）抗体检测结果解读中存在的一些固有困难。
一名30岁的停车场管理员遭受意外针刺伤。血清学和生化检查结果提示丙型肝炎病毒感染，但并不确定。
对其储存的血清进行了进一步检测，试图明确诊断。两项第二代酶联免疫吸附试验（雅培和奥索）结果不同，但均提示血清转化及随后的丙型肝炎病毒血清学逆转。重组免疫印迹试验和聚合酶链反应进一步检测未能解决问题。
我们对该患者的研究结果表明，在某些临床情况下使用丙型肝炎病毒抗体检测可能会导致混淆和误诊。这些检测应仅限于已确定具有诊断价值的情况。
