title: Detection and identification of occult HBV in blood donors in Taiwan using a commercial, multiplex, multi-dye nucleic acid amplification technology screening test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability of a new generation commercial, multiplex, multi-dye test from Roche, the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0, to detect and identify occult HBV infections was evaluated using routine donor samples from Kaohsiung Blood Bank, Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5973 samples were tested by nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT); 5898 in pools of six, 66 in pools of less than six and nine samples individually. NAT-reactive samples were retested with alternative NAT tests, and follow-up samples from the donors were tested individually by NAT and for all the HBV serological markers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight NAT-only-reactive donors were identified, and follow-up samples were obtained from six of the donors. The results indicated that all eight donors had an occult HBV infection with viral loads <12 IU/ml.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cobas(®) TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0, has an advantage over the current Roche blood screening test, the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, for screening donations in countries with a high prevalence of occult HBV infections since the uncertainty associated with identifying samples with very low viremia is removed by the ability of the test to identify the viral target in samples that are reactive with the cobas TaqScreen MPX test, version 2.0.
authors.affiliation: Kaohsiung Blood Center, Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saldanha
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hung
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012698:Serologic Tests; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: NAT test; blood screening; multi-dye; occult HBV