Replacement of HIV p24 Ag test by a multiplex RT-PCR method for primary screening of blood donors

Authors

  • José Eduardo Levi Hospital Sírio Libanês; Banco de Sangue
  • Silvano Wendel Hospital Nove de Julho; Banco de Sangue
  • Deise Tihe Takaoka Centro de Imunologia e Imunogenética
  • Isabela Cristina Silva Centro de Imunologia e Imunogenética
  • Juliana Polachini de Castro Centro de Imunologia e Imunogenética
  • Mário A. Torezan-Filho Centro de Imunologia e Imunogenética
  • Jorge Ghaname Hospital Nove de Julho; Banco de Sangue
  • Romualdo Gioachini Hospital Evaldo Foz; Banco de Sangue
  • Joselito Brandão Hospital Evaldo Foz; Banco de Sangue
  • Evaldo Pasquini Landi Universidade São Francisco; Núcleo de Hemoterapia de Bragança Paulista
  • Antônio César Teixeira Clínica de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Lago Sul
  • Edison Luis Durigon Universidade de São Paulo; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Departamento de Microbiologia

Keywords:

Nucleic Acid Testing, Blood Donors, RT-PCR, Transfusional Risk, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, p24 Ag

Abstract

Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) as a tool for primary screening of blood donors became a reality in the end of the 1990 decade. We report here the development of an "in-house" RT-PCR method that allows the simultaneous (multiplex) detection of HCV and HIV-RNA in addition to an artificial RNA employed as an external control. This method detects all HIV group M subtypes, plus group N and O, with a detection threshold of 500 IU/mL. After validation, the method replaced p24 Ag testing, in use for blood donation screening since 1996 at our services. From July 2001 to February 2006, 102,469 donations were tested and 41 (0.04%) were found HIV-RNA reactive. One NAT-only reactive donation (antibody non-reactive) was observed, with subsequent seroconversion of the implied donor, giving a yield of 1:102,469. This rate is in contrast to the international experience that reports a detection of approximately 1:600,000 - 1:3,100,000 of isolated HIV-RNA donations.

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Published

2007-06-01

Issue

Vol. 49 No. 3 (2007)

Section

Nucleic Acid Testing

How to Cite

Levi, J. E., Wendel, S., Takaoka, D. T., Silva, I. C., Castro, J. P. de, Torezan-Filho, M. A., Ghaname, J., Gioachini, R., Brandão, J., Landi, E. P., Teixeira, A. C., & Durigon, E. L. (2007). Replacement of HIV p24 Ag test by a multiplex RT-PCR method for primary screening of blood donors . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 49(3), 171-176. https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31085