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Dried blood spot for hepatitis C virus serology and molecular testing
Author(s) -
Tuaillon Edouard,
Mondain AnneMarie,
Meroueh Fadi,
Ottomani Laure,
Picot MarieChristine,
Nagot Nicolas,
Van de Perre Philippe,
Ducos Jacques
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.23407
Subject(s) - dried blood spot , hepatitis c virus , medicine , concordance , genotyping , hepatitis c , serology , virology , taqman , flaviviridae , hepacivirus , antibody , dried blood , genotype , virus , immunology , real time polymerase chain reaction , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , genetics , gene , chromatography
We investigated the performance of dried blood spots (DBS) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) diagnosis using modified commercial tests. Paired DBS and serum samples were collected from 200 patients: 100 patients with anti‐HCV antibodies (anti‐HCV), including 62 patients with detectable serum HCV RNA, and 100 patients without anti‐HCV. The DBS sample consisted of three drops of approximately 50 μL of whole blood applied to a paper card, which was then stored at −20°C within 48 hours of collection. Using the Ortho HCV 3.0 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit on DBS, we observed both a specificity and sensitivity of 99% in detecting anti‐HCV. HCV RNA was detected on DBS in 60/62 (97%) patients with detectable serum HCV RNA, which was then successfully quantified in 55 samples (89%) using the Cobas TaqMan HCV test. A good correlation was observed between the DBS HCV RNA concentration and the serum level ( r 2 = 0.95; P < 0.001). HCV genotyping was successfully performed on DBS samples, with a full concordance between the 14 paired DBS and serum samples (genotypes 1‐4). Conclusion: This study presents DBS as a reliable alternative to serum specimens for detecting anti‐HCV, quantifying HCV RNA and genotyping HCV. DBS may increase the opportunities for HCV testing and treatment follow‐up in hard‐to‐reach individuals. (H EPATOLOGY 2010.)