Characterization of antigenic preparations for anti-HCV screening tests: Issue of test performance

Abstract

Screening for anti-HCV antibodies is often subject to contradiction between different laboratories due to the use of tests from different manufacturers. In this study, we have proceeded to the identification of the various screening tests for anti-HCV antibodies with the main concerns of the characterization of each brand according to its principle, its antigenic preparation, and its evaluation in relation to the PCR RNA HC Positive and Negative samples. Our results identified thirty-two anti-HCV tests, of which 90.7% of the anti-HCV antibody detection tests had the following principles: simple liquid phase immunochromatography and solid support, the other tests, their principles were based either on the immunobolt (3.125%) or on sandwich immunochromatography (6.25%). 22 tests (68.75%) had no specification of the antigen preparation 9 tests mentioned (28.125%) recombinant proteins and only 1 test (3.125%) Recombinant proteins + synthetic peptides The correspondence was the antigen preparation, and its composition was such that 12 tests of recombinant protein preparations consisted of 8 tests contained the core, NS3, NS4 and NS5 proteins; 1 tests nucleocapsid and non-structural proteins. The evaluation of the anti-HCV tests presents on the Lubumbashi market, it turns out that the antigenic preparation tests: Core, NS3, NS4, NS5, meet the description of third-generation anti-HCV tests, because they consist of core antigens, NS3 and NS4 antigens combined and incorporated an NS5 epitope, showed significantly improved performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity.