[Immunoblot as a supplemental test to detect antibodies to hepatitis C virus in blood donors].
Supplemental tests using Immunoblot are recommended to improve specificity of anti-HCV by ELISA. In Brazil immunoblot is not officially recommended. Aiming to identify EIA false-positive rate 70 positive EIA anti-HCV blood donors were submitted to 3rd generation immunoblot at Hemocentro of Mato Grosso State where polymerase chain reaction tests are not performed. There were 44 (62.9%) immunoblot-positive, 22 (31.4%) negative and 4 (5.7%) indeterminate. Anti-HCV immunoblot can distinguish blood donors with false-positive ELISA from those who need medical assessment. Our data suggest that immunoblot could be useful in Brazilian blood banks where molecular biology tests are not available.
Souto
Francisco José Dutra
FJ
Núcleo de Estudos de Doenças Infecciosas e Tropicais de Mato Grosso, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Spain. fsouto@terra.com.br
Ribeiro
Luciano Côrrea
LC
Perazolo
Gustavo Faria
GF
Fortes
Hildenete Monteiro
HM
Saldanha
Alzira Almeida
AA
D001782:Blood Donors; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies