Table 2

Characteristics of studies included

Author/year	Country	Period	HCV tests	HCWs	n (n+)	Prevalence %	Controls	n (n+)	Prevalence %	Study quality (scores)*
Prospective studies
Puro 199524	Italy	1992–1993	Anti-HCV 2, enzyme immunoassay RIBA 2	S	3073 (67)	2.2	Pr	11 000 (19)	1.7	High (8)1–4 6–8
Maillard 199625	France	1992–1993	ELISA 2, PCR	S	236 (7)	2.9	H	305 (2)	0.7	Moderate (6)1 2 5 7 8
Cooper†199226	USA	NA	EIA RIBA 2	S‡	243 (4)	1.6	Pr	–	0.4–1.4	Moderate (6)1 2 4 7 8
Ahmetagic 200627	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2003–2005	ELISA 3, HCV-RNA	S	1699 (6)	0.4	P	2000 (4)	0.2	Low (4)1 2 5 8
Daw 200228	Libya	1999–2001	ELISA	S	459 (9)	2	P§	1200 (14)	1.2	Low (4)1 2 5 8
Mihaly† 200129	Hungary	1986–1998	EIA 2, EIA 3, RIBA 3, PCR	M, NS, CS‡	477 (13)	2.7	Pr	–	0.73–1	Low (4)1 2 8
Retrospective studies
Gershon 200730	USA	1999–2000	HCV 2, RIBA 3	S	216 (4)	1.9	H	94 (3)	3.2	High (9)1–8
Ozsoy 200331	Turkey	1998–2000	Anti-HCV 3 IL, INNOTEST 3, RT-PCR, ELISA	S	702 (2)	0.3	P	5670 (23)	0.4	High (9)1–8
Klein 199132	USA	1985–1987	ELISA 1, RIBA	D	456 (8)	1.8	P	723 (1)	0.1	High (9)1–8
Sermoneta-Gertel 200133	Israel	1995–1997	EIA 3, RIBA 3	S	3657 (34)	0.9	H	630 (3)	0.5	High (8)1–4 6–8
Thomas 199634	USA	1991	ELISA 1 or ELISA 2, RIBA	NS	943 (7)	0.7	P	104,239 (417)	0.4	High (8)1–5 7 8
Struve 199435	Sweden	NA	EIA 2, Supplementary test	M, NS, L¶	797 (5)	0.6	H	83 (1)	1.2	High (8)1–5 7 8
Braczkowska 200636	Poland	2003–2004	ELISA 3,Westem blot LIA HCV Ab3	MS	558 (8)	1.4	P	510 (2)	0.4	Moderate (7)1–3 5 6 8
Fisker 200437	Denmark	1998	HCV 3, RIBA, PCR	S	960 (2)	0.2	H	479 (0)	–	Moderate (7)1–5 8
Ciorlia 200738	Brazil	1994–1999	ELISA 2	S	1433 (25)	1.7	H, P	872 (4) 2583 (6)	1.3 0.2	Moderate (7)1–6 8
Moens 200039	Belgium	1996–1997	EIA 3, Matrix Abbott und LIA, PCR	S‡	4480 (21)	0.4	H	426 (0)	–	Moderate (7)1–3 6–8
Thorburn 200140	Scotland	1994–1996	ELISA 3, PCR, RIBA-3	S, D	10,654 (27)	0.3	H	471 (3)	0.6	Moderate (7)1–3 5 7 8
Djeriri 199641	France	1993–1994	EIA 2 RIBA2	S	283 (2)	0.7	H	93 (0)	–	Moderate (7)1–3 5 6 8
Villate 199342	Spain	1991–1992	ELISA 2, PCR, RIBA 2	M, L, NS¶	874 (14)	1.6	P	547 (2)	0.4	Moderate (7)1–5 8
Montella 200543	Italy	1991	ELISA 1,ELISA new generation	M, NS, L¶	578 (32)	5.5	H	91 (6)	6.6	Moderate (7)1 2 4–6 8
Kaabia 200944	Tunisia	2005	ELISA Murex 4, ELISA AxSYM Abbott	M, L, P, Mw¶	737 (9)	1.2	H	104 (0)	–	Moderate (6)1–3 5 8
Irani-Hakime 200145	Lebanon	1999	SM-HCV rapid test, MEIA HCV 3, PCR	S	502 (2)	0.4	P	600 (1)	0.2	Moderate (6)1–3 5 8
Campello 199246	Italy	1989–1990	ELISA, HCV neutralisation test	S	407 (5)	1.2	P	253 (2)	0.8	Moderate (6)1 2 4 5 8
Polish 199347	USA	1983	Anti-HCV 1 Abbott, HCV neutralisation assay Abbott	S	1350 (22)	1.6	H	257 (1)	0.4	Moderate (6)1 2 5 6 8
Perez Trallero 199248	Spain	NA	ELISA 2, RIBA 2	S	251 (4)	1.6	P	377 (8)	2.1	Moderate (6)1 2 4 5 8
Takahama 200549	Brazil	NA	ELISA 3, PCR, AxSym Abbott 3	D	267 (1)	O.4	P	88,241 (304)	0.3	Moderate (6)1 2 4 7 8
Trevisan 199950	Italy	NA	EIA, RIBA 3	S	809 (9)	1.1	H	408 (8)	2	Moderate (6)1 2 4 5 8
Weber† 200151	Switzerland	1999	EIA, EIA3, PCR, Immunoblot	D, DS	1056 (1)	0.1	Pr	–	0.5–1	Moderate (6)1 2 4 7 8
Shapiro† 199652	USA	1991	Immunoassay 1, supplementary neutralisation assay	M	3262 (27)	0.8	Pr	–	0.09–0.36	Moderate(6)1 2 4 7 8
Goetz† 199553	USA	NA	EIA 2, RIBA 2, Ortho, PCR	M, D, NS, L‡	241 (5)	1.3	Pr	–	0.3	Moderate (6)1 2 4 7 8
Ahmed 201254	Pakistan	2007–2009	ETI-AB-HCV-4	S	41 (7)	17.1	P	1959 (103)	5.3	Moderate (5)1 4–8
Fischer 200055	USA	1998	PCR	S	502 (0)	–	H	926 (2)	0.2	Moderate (5)1 2 5 7 8
De Mercato 199656	Italy	1995	RIBA 2	S	472 (12)	2.5	P	285 (8)	2.8	Moderate (5)1 2 4 5 8
Olubuyide 199757	Nigeria	1995	HCV 3-enzyme Immunoassay Murex	M, D	75 (8)	10.7	P	25 (3)	12	Moderate (5)1 2 4 7 8
Al-Sohaibani 199558	Saudi Arabia	1992–1994	UBI HCV EIA, RIBA or LiaTEK HCV 3	M, MS¶	330 (8)	2.4	P	292 (5)	1.7	Moderate (5)1 2 5 8
Soni 199359	South Africa	1991	EIA 2, EIA 2, Abbott neutralisation EIA	NS	212 (0)	–	P§	35 685 (92)	0.3	Moderate (5)1 2 5 8
Oguchi 199260	Japan	1989	ELISA 1 or 2,	S	150 (3)	2	P	704 (7)	1	Moderate (5)1 2 4 5 8
Nakashima 199361	Japan	1987–1988	ELISA, RIBA	S	1097 (11)	1	P	526 (5)	1	Moderate (5)1 2 5 8
Fujiyama 199262	Japan	NA	ELISA anti-C100	S	152 (1)	0.7	P	919 (14)	1.5	Moderate (5)1 2 5 8
Germanaud** 199463	France	NA	ELISA 2, RIBA 2	S	430 (4)	0.9	H	180 (3)	1.7	Moderate (5)1 2 5 8
Jindal† 200664	India	2003	Hep-Chex C	S	100 (4)	4	Pr	–	1.6	Moderate (5)1 2–4 8
Kuo† 199365	Taiwan	1990–1991	EIA 1, EIA 2, PCR	D	461 (3)	0.7	Pr	–	1	Moderate (5)1 2 4 8
Zaaijer† 201266	The Netherlands	2000–2009	AxSYM HCV, RIBA 3, PCR	S‡	729 (1)	0.1	Pr	–	0.6	Moderate (5)1 2 7 8
Zuckerman† 199467	Scotland	1986, 1991	EIA 2, RIBA 2	S	1053 (3)	0.3	Pr	–	0.3	Low (4)1 2 8
Jochen** 199268	Germany	1992	EIA 2, Immunoblot 2	S	1033 (6)	0.6	P	2113 (5)	0.2	Low (4)2 5 8
El Gohary 199569	Egypt	1990–1992	EIA 2	S	78 (6)	7.7	P §	271 (39)	14.4	Low (4)1 2 5 8
Polywka 199170	Germany	NA	ELISA	S	217 (6)	2.8	P	500 (2)	0.4	Low (4)1 2 5 8
Hindy 199571	Egypt	NA	ELISA, Abbott, ALT	DS	70 (1)	1.4	H	35 (6)	17.1	Low (4)1 4 8
Khan 201172	Pakistan	NA	Immunochromatography test, PCR	S	794 (34)	4.3	H	30 (0)	–	Low (4)1 2 4 8
Mijakoski† 201273	Macedonia	NA	anti-HCV Ab	NS	54 (0)	–	H	32 (0)	–	Low (4)1 4 5 8
Kondili 200774	Albania	NA	EIA 3	S	460 (3)	0.7	H	22 (0)	–	Low (3)1 5 8
Libanore** 199275	Italy	NA	Immunoassay	S	1008 (41)	4.1	Pr	3572 (34)	1	Low (4)1 2 5 8
Mujeeb† 199876	Pakistan	NA	EIA	S	114 (5)	4.4	Pr	–	0.7	Low (4)1 2 4 8
Sarkari† 201277	Iran	2009–2010	ELISA 3	S	212 (9)	4.2	Pr	–	0.1–0.9	Low (4)1 2 7 8
Vardas 200278	South Africa	1996	ELISA 3, PCR	S	362 (7)	1.9	H	37 (0)	–	Low (3)1 2 8
Shoaei† 201279	Iran	2010	ELISA	L	203 (0)	–	Pr	–	0.2	Low (3)1 2 8
De Luca** 199280	Italy	1990	NA	S	945 (45)	4.8	P§	3575 (39)	1.1	Low (2)2 5

() In bold letters: cases confirmed by second test.
*Fulfilled item for quality assessment—see table 1.
†Not included in meta-analysis.
‡Stratified by working area/exposure.
§Further control groups NA.
¶Stratified by professional groups.
**Editor letter.
CS, cleaning staff; D, medical dental staff; DS, dental staff (Medical and Non-Medical); EIA, enzyme immunoassay; H, hospital controls; HCV, viral hepatitis C; HCWs, healthcare workers; L, laboratory staff; M, medical staff; MS, medical students; Mw, midwives; NA, not available; NS, nursing staff; P, population-based controls; Pr, reference data on population-based controls; RIBA, the recombinant immunoblot assay; S, staff/ HCWs.