Serological determination of hepatitis C virus subtypes 1a

Serological determination of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes has been hampered by the lack of suitable assays. Therefore, a recombinant immunoblot assay has been established for serological differentiation of HCV subtypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 4a. It consists of recombinant HCV proteins from the NS-4 region propagated in Escherichia coli. To confirm the serotyping assay results, the results were compared with those obtained by nucleotide sequencing of the NS-5 region. Sera from 157 patients with chronic HCV infection were examined by this assay, and specific antibodies could be detected in 86 % (n 5 135) of them. The HCV genotype was determined correctly in all but one sample, and the subtypes determined by the serotyping assay corresponded to the HCV subtypes detected by nucleotide sequencing for 95 % (n 5 128) of the samples. These data indicate that HCV subtypes can be distinguished serologically. The assay that is described provides an easier means of identification of infection with different HCV subtypes for wider clinical and epidemiological applications. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded RNA virus of about 9,500 bp which is assumed to cause chronic hepatitis in more than 90 % of HCV-infected individuals (13). HCV has been classified into at least six major genotypes and a number of more closely related subtypes (15, 24, 33, 41). Althoug