HCV Ab
Hepatitis C Virus or HCV is an enveloped RNA virus recently classified in the family of Flaviviridae.
Hepatitis C Virus or HCV is an enveloped RNA virus recently classified in the family of Flaviviridae.
The genome encodes for structural components, a nucleocapsid protein and two envelope glycoproteins, and functional constituents involved in the virus replication and protein processing. The nucleocapsid-encoding region seems to be the most conservative among the isolates obtained all over the world.
HCV accounts for about 95% of hepatitis infections in recipients of blood transfusion and 50% of cases of sporadic NANB hepatitis. HCV commonly gives origin to asymptomatic hepatitis and chronicity develops in a high number of cases, sometime evolving in severe forms of illness, as hepatocarcinoma.
The determination of antibody to HCV has become mandatory in the screening of blood units to prevent post-transfusion hepatitis. It is also currently used to follow-up risk individuals and patients under treatment with interferon. Confirmation of any positive result is strongly recommended in the clinical laboratory practice before considering the patient truly positive for anti HCV antibodies.
The strip is first treated with the sample turned out to be positive in the screening assay. Anti HCV antibodies are captured, if present, by the specific antigens.
After washing out all the other components of the sample, in the 2nd incubation bound HCV Ab are detected by the addition of anti hIgG&M antibody, labeled with peroxidase (HRP). The enzyme captured on the solid phase, acting on the substrate/chromogen mixture, generates an optical signal that is proportional to the amount of anti HCV antibodies present in the sample.
Controls are included to provide an internal check of the analytical system.
The sample is confirmed positive if at least two specific reactivities are present.
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