Question

Explain how the hypothesis below came up/was developed based on the initial observations (see below).

Hypothesis: The recombinant-based assay for HCV will detect HCV antibodies in blood samples of people with hepatitis C or who are carriers of HCV, but not in non-HCV individuals.

Initial Observations:

I. Hepatitis is a general category of liver diseases. Several different viral agents have been found to infect the liver and cause inflammation and damage.

II. In the 1940s, researchers identified two forms of viral hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis, or hepatitis A, is transmitted by contact with feces from infected individuals. Serum hepatitis, or hepatitis B, is transmitted through the blood and other body fluids. The hepatitis B virus was isolated in the 1960s and the hepatitis A virus was isolated in the 1970s.

III. Following the isolation of these two viruses, assays were developed in order to identify individuals infected with hepatitis A or hepatitis B viruses.

IV. A form of hepatitis occurs in patients that test negative for hepatitis A or B. This form of hepatitis, initially called non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) but now referred to as hepatitis C, represented greater than 90% of transfusion-associated hepatitis.

V. Hepatitis C causes chronic disease which can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

VI. A recombinant-based assay for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been developed, using RNA isolated from the hepatitis C virus.

Answer 1

As per the initial observation, it was definitely determined that hepatitis is liver disease and inflammation of the liver is caused due to infection. Two forms of hepatitis were identified in the 1940s which are infectious hepatitis transmitted through feces and serum hepatitis transmitted through blood and body fluids. The assay were developed that identified hepatitis A or B virus. Liver cancer or other diseases were caused due to hepatitis C.

As per the observation, for Hepatitis C virus recombinant assay was used that helped in detecting the antibodies in sample of people infected with hepatitis C. So in short with the observation, it was found that HCV is mostly infusion related and tend to occur in people with transfusion. Hence, as soon as the body encounters foreign antigen in form of the transfusion, it starts to produce antibodies and hence this is something that can be determined by the recombinant assay.