title: Evaluation of the Abbott RealTime HBV DNA assay and comparison to the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan 48 assay in monitoring patients with chronic cases of hepatitis B.
abstract: The new Abbott RealTime hepatitis B virus (HBV) assay was compared to the Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan assay with 128 serum samples from patients with chronic hepatitis B. There was an excellent correlation (r = 0.961) between the two assays, with the Abbott RealTime test showing at least equivalent sensitivity and a slightly wider dynamic range than the Cobas TaqMan assay. By coupling high sensitivity with a large dynamic range, the Abbott RealTime HBV assay is useful in monitoring the response to antiviral therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford, 81-00133 Rome, Italy. marco.ciotti@ptvonline.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciotti
authors.forename: Fabbio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcuccilli
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guenci
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Prignano
authors.forename: Carlo Federico
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Perno
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019914:Taq Polymerase
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D019914:Taq Polymerase