title: Performance evaluation of the Artus hepatitis C virus QS-RGQ assay.
abstract: Accurate determination of hepatitis C virus RNA level is essential for evaluating the response to antiviral therapy, to determine the duration of treatment, and to predict treatment outcome. Currently, two real-time based polymerase chain reaction assays are used widely to monitor the hepatitis C RNA level: the Abbott RealTime HCV assay and the Cobas Taqman HCV assay. Recently, a third assay has become commercially available: the Artus HCV QS-RGQ assay, which uses the QIAsymphony SP/AS platform for sample preparation and PCR-setup, and the Rotor-Gene Q for amplification and detection. In this study, the performance of the Artus HCV QS-RGQ assay was tested on 105 plasma samples and compared to that of the Cobas Taqman HCV assay. Linear regression analysis showed a good agreement between the two assays. A slightly better sensitivity was observed with the Cobas Taqman assay, while higher hepatitis C viral RNA levels were measured by the Artus HCV QS-RGQ assay in samples positive for hepatitis C genotypes 4. Taken together, the data suggest that the Artus HCV QS-RGQ assay is useful in a diagnostic setting. The combination with the versatile QIAsymphony SP/AS system may represent a major advantage for clinical virological laboratories aiming at optimizing their workflow.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Foundation Polyclinic Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford, 81-00133 Rome, Italy.
authors: Pierpaolo
authors: P
authors: Paba
authors: Lavinia
authors: L
authors: Fabeni
authors: Carlo Federico
authors: CF
authors: Perno
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ciotti
mesh_terms: D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D019562:Viral Load / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic