Yushiro Watanabe

Genotyping of hepatitis C virus by a simple ELISA method.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been classified into five distinct types by nucleotide sequence analysis of the genome. The correlation between genotypes of HCV and sensitivity to treatment or prognosis is still controversial. OBJECTIVES We tried to establish a simple antibody assay to determine the HCV serotype instead of genotype determined by PCR or nucleotide sequence. STUDY DESIGN We made an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system by using synthetic oligopeptides of NS4 regions of types 1 (CH) and 2 (KN) HCV, and examined sera of various stages of hepatitis C patients. RESULTS Among 13 HCV RNA-positive sera, serotyping was consistent with genotyping. Four sera of type 1 and 7 sera of type 2 were positive to anti-CH and anti-KN antibodies, respectively. Two sera of patients mixedly infected with type 1 and 2 HCV were positive to both antibodies. The number of type 1 and 2 in patients with chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma was 27 and 18, 28 and 15, and 46 and 12 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Our result suggests that this simple ELISA method is useful for typing of HCV, and there is no significant relationship between HCV type and liver failure.