Combination hepatitis C virus antigen and antibody detection method

A method for detection of hepatitis C virus core protein and antibodies to hepatitis C virus core protein in a sample comprising the steps of:

• a) contacting said sample with a first capture peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:4, a second capture peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:54, and a third capture peptide consisting of SEQ ID NO:5 under conditions that allow formation of capture peptide:antibody complexes between said first, second and third capture peptides and said antibodies to hepatitis C virus core protein
• wherein each of said peptides conjugated to at least one member selected from the group consisting of a functional group, a spacer group, a carrier protein and combinations thereof,
• wherein the spacer group comprises one or more 6-aminohexanoic acid spacers, 1,3-diamino propane spacer, 1,3-diamino ethane spacer, or short polyglycine sequnces of 1 to 5 amino acids, and the carrier protein comprises bovine serum albumin, casein, or thyroglobulin;
• b) contacting said sample with a first antibody under conditions that allow formation of an antibody:antigen complex between said first antibody and said hepatitis C virus core protein, wherein said first antibody specifically binds said hepatitis C virus core protein at a first epitope comprising SEQ ID NO:6;
• c) detecting any capture peptide:antibody complexes formed in step (a) as a measure of said antibodies to said hepatitis C virus core protein, wherein said antibodies may be detected in the seroconversion and chronic phases of infection;
• and
• d) detecting any antibody:antigen complexes formed in step (b) as a measure of said hepatitis C virus protein.