Microbiology confirmatory tests for blood donors. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Click here to return to AIDSLINE main menu
DonateNow
Print this Article


Microbiology confirmatory tests for blood donors.

Blood Rev. 1999 Jun;13(2):91-104. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99341911
Dow BC; Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Microbiology; Reference Unit, Glasgow, UK.

Abstract: Blood donations collected in Scotland are currently screened for the presence of HBsAg, anti-HIV 1 + 2, anti-HCV and syphilis antibodies. Approximately 1% of all donations are found to repeatedly react to one of these four markers on screening but very few represent true infection. These samples must be sent to the designated confirmatory laboratory whose main role is to identify the true positive amongst a sea of 'false positives'. A battery of tests is used for this purpose, usually applied in a defined sequence. The use of such 'confirmatory algorithms' for each marker has been developed by most countries over the years and is now essential to the confirmatory process. The advent of gene amplification techniques such as PCR for initially pooled and eventually single donation testing will be the next challenge for confirmatory laboratories and will demand standards of confirmation as accurate as currently performed with the present serological markers.
Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL Algorithms Biological Markers/*BLOOD Blood Banks/STANDARDS *Blood Donors Communicable Disease Control/*METHODS Hepatitis B Surface Antigens/ANALYSIS Hepatitis B Virus/ISOLATION & PURIF Hepatitis C-Like Viruses/ISOLATION & PURIF Human HIV/ISOLATION & PURIF Scotland Serotyping Syphilis SerodiagnosisKWDjournalarticlereviewreview,tutorialalgorithmsbiologicalmarkers/KWDbloodbloodbanks/standardsKWDblooddonorscommunicablediseasecontrol/KWDmethodshepatitisbsurfaceantigens/analysishepatitisbvirus/isolation&purifhepatitisc-likeviruses/isolation&purifhumanhiv/isolation&purifscotlandserotypingsyphilisserodiagnosis
991130
A99B1055

Copyright © 1999 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Gill Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Quest Diagnostics, Roche and Trimeris, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1999. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1999. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .