Determination of anti-HCV signal to cut-off value in patients with hepatitis C virus infection and the variety of antibody responses

Abstract

Objectives: The diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection starts with the detection of antibodies against recombinant or synthetic HCV proteins by Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA). Although EIA tests are highly sensitive, false positivity rates are not low. Positive anti-HCV results are generally confirmed with complementary tests such as Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT), or Western Blot modifications. Methods: The anti-HCV results of 199,516 individuals referred from various clinics between 2015 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively at