The Evaluation of HCV RNA, Serum Transaminases and AST/ ALT Values of Anti-HCV Positive Patients

Objective: In this study, comparison of HCV-RNA levels with anti-HCV and transaminase levels and evaluation of serum AST/ALT ratios of patients prediagnosed/diagnosed with HCV were aimed. Materials and Methods: A thousand of serum samples submitted to Medical Microbiology Laboratory for the investigation of HCV-RNA between January 2009 and January 2011 were included to the study. HCV RNA, Anti-HCV, ALT and AST values performed simultaneously of the samples were evaluated retrospectively. HCV RNA levels, anti-HCV and serum transaminase levels of patients were measured by real-time PCR, chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and enzymatic spectrophotometric method respectively. The relationship between HCV RNA levels and serum ALT and AST levels were assessed by Spearman's correlation analysis. The samples were separated to three different groups as anti-HCV and HCV RNA negative patients (Group I), Anti-HCV positive and HCV RNA negative patients (Group II) and both Anti-HCV and HCV RNA positive patients(Group III). Results: The 527 of 1000 serum samples included in the study were positive for both HCV RNA and anti-HCV. Three hundred eighty five (81.4%) of the HCV-RNA negative 473 samples were detected as anti-HCV positive. It was determined that group III has higher ALT and AST levels than group I and II and group II has the highest AST/ALT levels among other groups. In Group III, 58.4% and 49.5% of the samples were detected as normal values for ALT and AST respectively. Conclusion: In this study, Anti-HCV tests were found to be positive in all HCV RNA positive cases. The detection of transaminase with normal level in about 60% of HCV RNA and anti-HCV-positive samples and AST/ALT ratio is less than 1 in these patients, reveal the importance of HCV RNA to follow the infection. Anti HCV and transaminases should be evaluated with viral load levels in HCV infections.