Ax sym hcv 3

For all subjects, blood markers were performed on the day of biopsy or within 5 days after liver biopsy. Serum AST, ALT, total bilirubin, and albumin were performed using Max Discovery™ Color Endpoint Assay kits (Cat. No.BO-5605-01 and BO-3460-08, Bioo Scientific Co., USA). α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were estimated in the serum of all participants by using a sandwich ELISA assay and immune assay kits (AFP; R&D Systems, USA; TNF-α; BD Biosciences, USA, respectively). In addition, HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and HCV-RNA were estimated in patients with chronic HCV by using third-generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (Axsym HCV 3.0, Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, IL) and an in-house direct reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, respectively. Also, HCV genotypes were identified by a reverse hybridization method using Line Probe assay (INNO-LiPA HCV II kit, Innogenetics, Zwijndrecht, Belgium). The data were interpreted according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Plasma HIV RNA load was quantified using the Cobas Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor test (Cobas Amplicor version 1.5, Roche Diagnostics Corporation, IN) with a lower detection limit of 40 copies/mL, and CD4 count was determined using FACFlow (BD FACS Calibur, Becton Dickinson, CA). Anti-hepatitis A virus antibodies were determined using chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) (Abbott Diagnostics: CMIA-ARCHITECT i-2000); hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HBs antibody, and hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc antibody) using enzyme immunoassay (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL); and antibodies to hepatitis C virus using a third-generation enzyme immunoassay (Ax SYM HCV III, Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL). NAT1 and NAT2 acetylator types were determined with the use of polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism to differentiate common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) predictive of the acetylator phenotypes [16] (link), [17] (link).

Anti-HCV antibody was determined by the third generation, commercially available ELISA kit (Ax SYM HCV III; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL). Both the serum HCV RNA and genotypes were assessed by real-time PCR assays (low limit of detection: 12 IU/ml, RealTime HCV; Abbott Molecular, Des Plaines IL, USA)^{14 (link)}.

Hematological indicators were measured using a hematology analyzer (UniCel DxH 800; Beckman Coulter, Brea, CA, USA). Biochemical indicators included fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), serum uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C); low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, GGT, and alkaline phosphatase levels. All serum biochemical markers were measured using a Hitachi 7600 Automatic Biochemical Analyzer (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan). Serum HbA1c levels were analyzed using a Premier Hb9210 HbA1c Analyzer (Bray, Ireland, Kansas City, MO, USA). Hepatitis B surface antigen was measured using radioimmunoassay kits (Ausria II-125; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL, USA) and anti-hepatitis C antibody was measured using a microparticle enzyme immunoassay (Ax SYM HCV III; Abbott Laboratories). All blood samples were obtained after an 8-h overnight fast.
The overall dataset (n = 2325) was randomly divided into two groups: the training dataset (n = 1162) and validation cohort (n = 1163).