Nucleic acid testing of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus 1, 2 in blood donors in the General University Hospital, Prague.

The Roche Cobas TaqScreen MPX Test v1 - multiplex reverse transcription-real time (MPX RT-Real Time) PCR, performed on Cobas s201 for HCV RNA, HBV DNA, HIV-1 RNA /group M and O/, and HIV-2 RNA was introduced as a supplement to the currently used imunoanalysis method for blood donor´s testing (Abbott CMIA - chemiluminescent microparticle imunoassay, performed on Architect i2000 for anti-HCV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)), anti-HIV-1 /group M and O/, anti-HIV-2 and p24 HIV). The results of study could provide valuable arguments to support the discussion about the NAT implementation into the standards of blood donor´s testing in the Czech Republic. Two groups of samples were tested. In the first one, 5074 samples from consecutive blood donors, and in the second one, 5 repository preseroconverted samples from repeat blood donors, who were subsequently confirmed positive for Viral Hepatitis and/or HIV/AIDS by the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), were tested. One sample was found reactive by chemiluminescent microparticle immuno assay (CMIA) and nucleic acid test (NAT) (confirmed HBV-positive in NRL), 31 samples were CMIA-only reactive (15 anti-HCV, 4 HBsAg, 12 anti-HIV/p24, all confirmed negative in NRL) and one pool (6 samples) was found reactive (further individual NAT was negative for all samples) in the first group of samples. One sample was NAT-only reactive (confirmed HCV-positive in NRL) in the second group of samples. Our study confirmed that screening of infectious markers using NAT can reduce the risk of transmitting the monitored infections by blood transfusion in the Czech Republic, even as a country with currently good epidemiological situation.