title: Multicenter evaluation of a semiautomated, standardized assay for detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in blood donations.
abstract: We evaluated the COBAS Ampliscreen hepatitis B virus (HBV) test using standards, seroconversion panels, consecutive donations, and samples from patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase and chronic hepatitis C. Specificity was 100% and sensitivity was 20 IU/ml. In seroconversion panels, HBV DNA was detected up to 4 to 18 days before HBsAg, suggesting that this assay is useful in shortening the infectious window phase.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Romanò
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velati
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baruffi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fomiatti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colucci
authors.forename: Alessandro R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zanetti
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens