Commercial enzyme immunoassay adapted for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in dried blood spots

• Published in: Journal of clinical virology Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 68 - 71
• Main Authors: Croom, Hayley A., Richards, Kim M., Best, Susan J., Francis, Barbara H., Johnson, Elizabeth I.M., Dax, Elizabeth M., Wilson, Kim M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Action of physical and chemical agents; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Specimen Collection - methods; Buffers; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Feasibility Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hepacivirus - immunology; Hepatitis C - blood; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis C - virology; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis C virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoassay - instrumentation; Immunoassay - methods; Immunoenzyme Techniques - instrumentation; Immunoenzyme Techniques - methods; Immunoglobulin; Immunologic tests; Immunological diagnosis; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Routine diagnostic tests; Sensitivity and Specificity; Viral diseases; Virology; Immunoglobulin; Immunologic tests; Immunological diagnosis; Hepatitis C virus; Routine diagnostic tests; Immunoglobulins; Microbiology; Antibody; Enzyme immunoassay; Blood; Virology; Virus; Diagnosis; Flaviviridae; Detection; Hepacivirus
• ISSN: 1386-6532; 1873-5967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2005.12.002

Dried blood spots (DBS) provide a convenient method for blood sample collection in many settings where the prevalence of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasing. Consequently, HCV assays are required that produce reliable results using samples derived from DBS. The optimum buffer for the elution of samples from DBS was selected and the performance of a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was evaluated using these DBS eluates and paired plasma samples. DBS with paired plasma samples were compared using this modified commercial EIA, which was found to have an estimated sensitivity and specificity of approximately 100% for detecting anti-HCV antibodies in DBS. A DBS-based assay for the detection of antibodies to HCV will prove valuable for collecting epidemiological data in the field or in under resourced settings.