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Virological tests in hepatitis B and C Volume 15, issue 5, Septembre-Octobre 2008

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Centre national de référence des hépatites B, C et delta, laboratoire de virologie, Inserm U841, hôpital Henri-Mondor, université Paris-XII, 51, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010 Créteil, France

Virological assays are invaluable tools for the management of viral hepatitis. They can be used to diagnose infection, establish its prognosis, guide treatment decisions and assess the virological responses to therapy. The diagnosis of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is based on the interpretation of antigen-antibody profiles and, for chronic hepatitis B, on serological profiles and HBV DNA detection and quantification. Treatment responses are assessed by repeated measures of HBV DNA levels by means of a sensitive molecular method. In addition, in HBe antigen-positive patients, the treatment response is also witnessed by the loss of HBe antigen, eventually followed by the appearance of HBe antibodies. The diagnosis of hepatitis C is based on the detection of anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA by means of sensitive molecular techniques. HCV genotype determination is used to tailor the treatment schedule to the individual patient. Treatment efficacy is assessed by means of molecular techniques.