Efficacy of Elecsys<sup>®</sup> HCV Duo in diagnosing hepatitis C virus-positive patients

Elecsys® HCV Duo is a new antigen-antibody combination test for hepatitis C virus. This study evaluated its usefulness in diagnosing patients with hepatitis C using pretreatment serum samples from 100 patients with chronic hepatitis C who underwent direct-acting antiviral therapy. Results of HCV Duo testing revealed positive rates in HCV Ab and HCV Ag at 100% and 79%, respectively. The HCV Duo test is effective regardless of gender, age, and body mass index. Thus, Elecsys® HCV Duo can diagnose hepatitis C in approximately 80% of patients without measuring HCV-RNA. It can also identify HCV carriers on the same day of testing and may help eliminate HCV through early consultation with hepatologists and gastroenterologists.