Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing Screening of HIV-1,HBV and in Donated Blood (การคัดกรองการติดเชื้อเอชไอวี-1 เอชบีวี และเอชซีวีในโลหิตบริจาคด้วยวิธีเพิ่มปริมาณสารพันธุกรรม)

Window period (WP) donation increases the risk of infection in blood transfusion. Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) has been proved to reduce WP of human immunodeficiency virus type – 1 (HIV – 1), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). The study determined the prevalence of WP by using in – house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of these viruses. During January 2001 – September 2003, donated blood samples of 51,705 from 5 hospitals in central Thailand were collected. All specimens were HIV, HCV and HBV non – reactive by serological test screening. The specimens were combined into 2,101 pools, of which each pool comprising 25 individual sera. NAT with pooled and individual testing found 2 HIV – 1, 3 – HCV and 6 – HBV reactive. After verification of NAT results by another PCR, serological test and following – up of the donors’ data, NAT results confirmed 3 HCV and 6 HBV reactive. The prevalence (per 10 5 units) of HCV WP was 5.80 (95% CI; 1.2 – 17.0) while that of HBV WP was 11.60 (95% CI; 4.3 – 25.3). One of HIV – 1 NAT reactive sample was a blind control miss – screened which was anti – HIV – 1 reactive at the primary screening step. Another one was as anti HIV – 1 non – reactive. Both HIV – 1 NAT reactive specimens were not HIV – 1 WP (95% CI; 0. – 7.1). This in – house PCR and the NAT process offer supplemental test for reduction of WP. Higher prevalence of HCV and HBV WP among Thai blood donors should be further investigated in a larger study. Key words: HIV – 1 virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, NAT window period (WP), blood donation safety