[Possibilities and limits of anti-HCV antibody screening in the blood donation service].
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for the majority of post-transfusion hepatitis cases. We compared the correlation and reproducibility of different screening and confirmatory tests.


METHODS
1,406 samples of voluntary blood donors were tested in parallel using 3 enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assays (ELISA) for HCV antibodies. Those samples that were positive in at least 1 of the 3 tests were additionally tested in a 3rd-generation ELISA as well as in 3 different confirmatory tests.


RESULTS
13 samples (0.92%) were repeat reactive in at least 1 of the ELISAs with different results in the confirmatory tests. Only 3 samples (0.21%) with high sample/cutoff ratios in the ELISAs were positive in all 3 confirmatory tests.


CONCLUSIONS
The reproducibility of the tested ELISAs and the correlation with confirmatory tests were good only in samples with a high signal to cutoff ratio. Two different high-positive ELISA results can be regarded as confirmation.
Fölsch
B
B
Department für Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhämatologie, Chirurgische Universitäts-klinik, Graz.
Gabriel
C
C
Wilders-Truschnig
M M
MM
Lanzer
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies