title: Effects of anticoagulants and storage of blood samples on efficacy of the polymerase chain reaction assay for hepatitis C virus.
abstract: Blood samples from 11 patients with posttransfusion hepatitis C virus infection were collected. Each sample was divided into three fractions to obtain sera, sodium-citrated plasma, and heparinized plasma and then tested for HCV RNA by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of them, eight sodium-citrated plasma samples, seven serum samples, and no heparinized plasma samples were PCR positive. Eight PCR-positive sodium-citrated plasma samples were exposed to different physical conditions and semiquantified for HCV RNA after serial dilutions. Samples stored at -70 degrees C showed the best preservation of HCV RNA, and storage at the other conditions resulted in only minimal loss of the PCR signal. Therefore, serum or sodium-citrated plasma specimens are satisfactory for detecting HCV RNA by PCR, but heparinized blood specimens are not.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001483:Base Sequence; D001793:Blood Preservation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D012367:RNA, Viral