Magnetic bead technology for viral RNA extraction from serum in blood bank screening.
Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) was recently recommended by Brazilian legislation and has been implemented at some blood banks in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, in an attempt to reduce blood-born transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus.


OBJECTIVE
Manual magnetic particle-based extraction methods for HIV and HCV viral nucleic acids were evaluated in combination with detection by reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) one-step.


METHODS
Blood donor samples were collected from January 2010 to September 2010, and minipools of them were submitted to testing. ELISA was used for the analysis of anti-HCV/HIV antibodies. Detection and amplification of viral RNA was performed using real-time PCR.


RESULTS
Out of 20.808 samples screened, 53 samples (29 for HCV and 24 for HIV) were confirmed as positive by serological and NAT methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The manual magnetic bead-based extraction in combination with real-time PCR detection can be used to routinely screen blood donation for viremic donors to further increase the safety of blood products.
Associação Beneficente de Coleta de Sangue, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. albertonig@nefro.epm.br
Guilherme Ambrozio
GA
Albertoni
Carine Prisco
CP
Arnoni
Patricia Regina Barboza
PR
Araujo
Sheila Siqueira
SS
Andrade
Fabrício Oliveira
FO
Carvalho
Manoel João Batista Castello
MJ
Girão
Nestor
N
Schor
José Augusto
JA
Barreto
D001771:Blood Banks; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics / Q000379:methods*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D015483:HIV Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral