Serologic versus molecular testing for screening for hepatitis C virus infection in patients with hematologic malignancies. Issue 37 (16th September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Torres, Harrys A.; Angelidakis, Georgios; Jiang, Ying; Economides, Minas; Mustafayev, Khalis; Yibirin, Marcel; Orlowski, Robert; Champlin, Richard; Verstovsek, Srdan; Raad, Issam
• Is Part Of: Medicine. Volume 101:Issue 37(2022)
• Page Start: e30608
• Publication Date: 2022-09-16
• Subjects: hematologic malignancies -- hematopoietic cell transplant recipients -- hepatitis C virus -- screening; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Geneeskunde; Medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030608
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7974

Abstract

Abstract : Testing for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) is a low-cost diagnostic method worldwide; however, an optimal screening test for HCV in patients with cancer has not been established. We sought to identify an appropriate screening test for HCV infection in patients with hematologic malignancies and/or hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT). Patients in our center were simultaneously screened using serological (anti-HCV) and molecular (HCV RNA) assays (February 2019–November 2019). In total, 214 patients were enrolled in this study. Three patients (1.4%) were positive for anti-HCV, and 2 (0.9%) were positive for HCV RNA. The overall percentage agreement was 99.5% (95% CI: 97.4–99.9). There were no cases of seronegative HCV virus infection. The positive percentage agreement was 66.7% (95% CI: 20.8–93.9), and the negative percentage agreement was 100.0% (95% CI: 98.2–100.0). Cohen kappa coefficient was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.41–1.00, P < .0001). The diagnostic yield of screening for chronic HCV infection in patients with cancer is similar for serologic and molecular testing.