The Indian Practitioner

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Correlation of Serological and Molecular Methods in Hepatitis B & C Reactive Blood Donors


Affiliations
1 Dept. of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion (IHBT), B.J. Medical college, B2 ward (Blood Bank), Dept. of IHBT, Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
2 Dept. of IHBT, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
3 Dept of IHBT, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
4 ICON Hospital, Ahmedabad, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Background: The Standards for Blood Banks & Blood Transfusion Services, issued by NACO mention that all collected blood units should be tested for the mandatory five tests before issuing to any patient. The choice of method may depend upon the number of units collected by the blood centre, availability of trained staff and equipment apart from cost feasibility. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and viral load of HBV DNA and HCV RNA in Hepatitis B & C reactive donors respectively, and hence it was intended to contribute in determining whether routine HBsAg and HCV screening of blood donors, using ELISA method alone, provide any concrete benefits with regard to HBV and HCV risk reduction.

Material & Methods: A total of 20,917 blood donors were screened for HBV, HCV, HIV, Syphilis and Malarial parasite as part of routine blood donation screening at a tertiary care teaching hospital blood centre in Western India. 110 donors having reactive report for HBV and 11 donors having reactive report for HCV were used for the present study.

Results: 110 donors were found to be reactive for HBsAg by ELISA testing. Out of these 110 reactive HBsAg donors, only 72 (65%) showed positive results in HBV DNA test. 11 tested anti-HCV positive in ELISA. Out of 11, only 7 (63%) showed positive results in HCV RNA test.

Conclusion: In the present study, approximately 35% of the screened units which were reactive for ELISA were negative for viral load. The factors like deterioration of sample, low viral load, false positive ELISA results may account for the same.


Keywords

Blood Donors, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Serology, Molecular Markers.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945.

  • National AIDS Control Organization, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi. Standards for Blood Banks & Blood Transfusion Services. 2007.

  • Kuhns MC, Kleinman SH, McNamara AL, Rawal B, Glynn S, Busch MP; REDS Study Group. Lack of correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA levels in blood donors who test positive for HBsAg and antiHBc: implications for future HBV screening policy. Transfusion. 2004 Sep;44(9):1332-9.

  • Nabuco LC, Villela-Nogueira CA, Perez RM, Ceci L, Pannain VL, Nogueira CM, Segadas-Soares JA, Coelho HS. HBV-DNA levels in HBsAg-positive blood donors and its relationship with liver histology. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2007 Feb;41(2):194-8.

  • Hennig H, Puchta I, Luhm J, Schlenke P, Goerg S, Kirchner H. Frequency and load of hepatitis B virus DNA in first-time blood donors with antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen. Blood. 2002 Oct 1;100(7):2637-41.

  • Villar LM, Cruz HM, Barbosa JR, Bezerra CS, Portilho MM, Scalioni Lde P. Update on hepatitis B and C virus diagnosis. World J Virol. 2015 Nov 12;4(4):323-42.

  • Amarapurkar DN, Mada K, Kapoor D. Management of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection in India. J Assoc Physicians India. 2015 Nov;63(11):43-52.

  • Yousuf AW, Kadla SA, Saqib N, Yousuf AM, Lone S, Wani B. Prevalence of hepatitis B DNA and serological markers of hepatitis B infection among HBsAg negative voluntary blood donors in Kashmir valley. International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research 2017;4(10):2052-56.

  • Sawke NG, Sawke G. Preventing Post-Transfusion Hepatitis by screening blood donors for IgM antibody to Hepatitis B core antigen. J Glob Infect Dis. 2010 Sep;2(3):246-7.

  • Makroo RN, Chowdhry M, Bhatia A, Arora B, Rosamma NL. Hepatitis B core antibody testing in Indian blood donors: A double-edged sword! Asian J Transfus Sci. 2012 Jan;6(1):10-3.


Abstract Views: 152

PDF Views: 0




  • Correlation of Serological and Molecular Methods in Hepatitis B & C Reactive Blood Donors

Abstract Views: 152  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Nidhi Bhatnagar
Dept. of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion (IHBT), B.J. Medical college, B2 ward (Blood Bank), Dept. of IHBT, Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Mamta Shah
Dept. of IHBT, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
Sangita Shah
Dept of IHBT, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
Manish Bhatnagar
ICON Hospital, Ahmedabad, India

Abstract


Background: The Standards for Blood Banks & Blood Transfusion Services, issued by NACO mention that all collected blood units should be tested for the mandatory five tests before issuing to any patient. The choice of method may depend upon the number of units collected by the blood centre, availability of trained staff and equipment apart from cost feasibility. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and viral load of HBV DNA and HCV RNA in Hepatitis B & C reactive donors respectively, and hence it was intended to contribute in determining whether routine HBsAg and HCV screening of blood donors, using ELISA method alone, provide any concrete benefits with regard to HBV and HCV risk reduction.

Material & Methods: A total of 20,917 blood donors were screened for HBV, HCV, HIV, Syphilis and Malarial parasite as part of routine blood donation screening at a tertiary care teaching hospital blood centre in Western India. 110 donors having reactive report for HBV and 11 donors having reactive report for HCV were used for the present study.

Results: 110 donors were found to be reactive for HBsAg by ELISA testing. Out of these 110 reactive HBsAg donors, only 72 (65%) showed positive results in HBV DNA test. 11 tested anti-HCV positive in ELISA. Out of 11, only 7 (63%) showed positive results in HCV RNA test.

Conclusion: In the present study, approximately 35% of the screened units which were reactive for ELISA were negative for viral load. The factors like deterioration of sample, low viral load, false positive ELISA results may account for the same.


Keywords


Blood Donors, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Serology, Molecular Markers.

References