Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec;33(4):363-370.
doi: 10.1007/s13337-022-00797-5. Epub 2022 Oct 18.

The signal-to-cutoff ratios to predict HCV infection among people who inject drugs

Bing Chen  1 , Ling-Yu Gao  2 , Zhong-Hui Ma  3 , Hao Chang  4 , Li-Jian Pei  4 , Qiang Zhou  1 , Wen-Ge Xing  4
Affiliations

The signal-to-cutoff ratios to predict HCV infection among people who inject drugs

Bing Chen et al. Virusdisease. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

People who inject drugs (PWIDs) are primarily the high-risk population for HCV infection. This study aims to determine the optimal cut-off values for predicting HCV infection status based on the Signal-to-Cutoff (S/CO) ratio. In this study, a total of 719 PWIDs' samples were collected, and performed for screening test by ELISA assay, and followed by RIBA assay and NAT assay to detect HCV antibody and HCV RNA levels, respectively. The findings revealed that the prevalence of HCV infection among PWIDs was 54.66% (393/719), and the false-positive rate of HCV antibody detection by ELISA assay among PWIDs was only 3.85% (16/416). In addition, when the optimal cut-off value for S/CO ratio was 2.0, the sensitivity and specificity of HCV antibody were 100.00% and 93.55%, respectively. And when the optimal cut-off value for S/CO ratio was 21.36, the sensitivity and specificity of HCV RNA positive were 89.90% and 72.73%, respectively. In conclusion, the status of HCV infection can be predicted based on the S/CO ratios of the ELISA assay, which can improve diagnosis and facilitate timely treatment to effectively prevent the spread of HCV infection.

Keywords: Anti-HCV; Hepatitis C virus; People who inject drugs; S/CO ratio.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic diagram of the HCV detection methods and sample number.719 PWIDs samples were collected for screening test by ELISA assays, and then supplementary test by RIBA assay and NAT assay to determine the status of HCV infection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The distribution of the S/CO ratios in 719 PWIDs samples using ELISA assay. The reported results were based on the RIBA assay and NAT assay to determine the HCV antibody results
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Receiver operating curves (ROC) of S/CO ratio for predicting the positive result of HCV antibody in 719 PWIDs samples
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Receiver operating curves (ROC) of S/CO ratio for predicting the positive result of HCV RNA in 719 PWIDs samples
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Scatter plots between S/CO ratio and HCV RNA level. HCV RNA level was analyzed in log scale
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Comparison of S/CO ratios between patients with active HCV infection and patients with HCV spontaneous clearance. Mean ± Standard Deviation, **:P < 0.01
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Aebi-Popp K, Wandeler G, Salazar-Vizcaya L, Metzner K, Stockle M, Cavassini M, et al. Rapid decline of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies following early treatment of incident HCV infections in HIV-infected men who have sex with men. HIV Med. 2018;19(6):420–5. doi: 10.1111/hiv.12602. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Aghemo A, Buti M, Hepatitis C, Therapy Game Over! Gastroenterology. 2016;151(5):795–8. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.09.034. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alborino F, Burighel A, Tiller FW, van Helden J, Gabriel C, Raineri A, et al. Multicenter evaluation of a fully automated third-generation anti-HCV antibody screening test with excellent sensitivity and specificity. Med Microbiol Immunol. 2011;200(2):77–83. doi: 10.1007/s00430-010-0171-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Alter MJ, Kuhnert WL, Finelli L, Centers for Disease C, Prevention Guidelines for laboratory testing and result reporting of antibody to hepatitis C virus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2003;52(RR-3):1–13. - PubMed
    1. Baecker A, Liu X, La Vecchia C, Zhang ZF. Worldwide incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma cases attributable to major risk factors. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2018;27(3):205–12. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000428. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources