Prevalence of Anti‐HCV Antibodies Confirmed by Recombinant Immunoblot in Different Population Subsets in The Netherlands

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Abstract
The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was studied in various population subsets in the Netherlands with anti-HCV C100 enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and confirmed with recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). Anti-HCV C100 ELISA positivity and RIBA positivity were found in 39 (0.7%) and 5 (0.1%) of 5,434 blood donors from Amsterdam; 25 (5%) and 2 (0.4%) of 481 blood donors from Surinam (South America); 19 (9%) and 2 (1%) of 213 multitransfused patients; 28 (4%) and 15 (2%) of 633 hemodialysis patients; 179 (80%) and 150 (67%) of 225 hemophilia A and B patients; 8 (80%) and 4 (40%) of 10 intravenous drug abusers; 18 (15%) and 2 (2%) of 119 anti-HIV-positive homosexual men; 2 (2%) and none of 106 anti-HIV-negative homosexual men; 6 (32%) and 3 (16%) of 19 patients with acute hepatitis non-A, non-B (NANBH); 13 (65%) and 8 (40%) of 20 patients with chronic NANBH and/or cryptogenic cirrhosis; and 4 (40%) and 1 (10%) of 10 patients with idiopathic autoimmune chronic hepatitis. Among blood donors, a positive correlation between a history of jaundice after the age of 18 years and the presence of RIBA-confirmed anti-HCV antibodies was found. Among both blood donors and hemodialysis patients, a positive correlation of RIBA-confirmed anti-HCV positivity with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels, but not with the presence of anti-hepatitis B core antibodies was found. In the Netherlands, HCV antibodies are low endemic among blood donors, as well as among blood donors from Surinam, and are more frequently observed in patients with NANBH and individuals at risk of blood-borne virus infections. It is concluded that 8–13% of the C100 ELISA-positive individuals in low-risk populations are RIBA-confirmed positive, as compared to 50–80% of individuals at increased risk.