National Institute for Biological Standards and Control/UK Blood Transfusion Service working standards for HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV-1 ('go/no-go' controls).
OBJECTIVE
The positive controls supplied with the commercial kits used in the testing of blood donations for markers of viral infection are usually of high reactivity and do not give users a reliable indication of optimal performance of the kit on a day-to-day basis.


METHODS
The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control has developed working standards for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (anti-HIV-1) for the UK Blood Transfusion Services for daily use in every test.


RESULTS
Data from the use of these reagents are collated and quarterly reports are issued.


CONCLUSIONS
The centralized collation, analysis and reporting of the results from users of working standards facilitate the continual assessment of the responses obtained by individual laboratories, comparisons of the interlaboratory performance and the performance of different manufacturers' kits at a national level. This information complements the data on infection surveillance and initial/repeat reactivities using the same kits.
Ferguson
M
M
Division of Virology, Division of Retrovirology and Informatics Laboratory, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar, UK. m.ferguson@nibsc.ac.uk
Holmes
H
H
Sands
D
D
D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods; D001782:Blood Donors; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D012015:Reference Standards
D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies