Is HCV core antigen a reliable marker of viral load? An evaluation of HCV core antigen automated immunoassay.

Background: Hepatitis C viral (HCV) load detection and quantification is routinely accomplished by HCV RNA measurement, an expensive but essential test, both for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC). HCV core antigen (Ag) testing has been suggested as an attractive alternative to molecular diagnostics. The aim of the study was to evaluate an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) for HCV core Ag measurement in comparison to quantitative HCV RNA determination.