Improved Detection of HIV and Hepatitis in Blood

An improved test for detection of human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and 2) and hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) in blood has been developed.

The cobas TaqScreen MPX test produced by Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), has received the CE (Conformité Européene) Mark certification, which allows the company to commercialize the test in the European Union (EU). The test enables simultaneous screening of several viruses in whole blood, plasma, organs, and tissues from living donors. The comprehensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects HIV-1 groups M and O, HIV-2, and hepatitis B and C. It replaces three separate PCR-based nucleic acid tests, which detect only HIV-1, and Hepatitis B and C.

Designed to run on the new cobas s 201 system, the cobas TaqScreen MPX is the first of several tests being designed. Each step of the blood screening process is fully automated, improving laboratory efficiency and reducing human error. The modular design of the system provides blood centers with greater flexibility for customizing instrument configurations to meet their unique throughput requirements and minimize interruptions to time-sensitive operations.

A major global concern is the danger of transmission of HIV and hepatitis viruses during transfusion of blood or blood components. Nucleic acid amplification technologies such as Roche's new PCR-based test enable direct detection of viral DNA or RNA in the blood earlier and more effectively than antibody and antigen testing, often before symptoms of the disease appear in the blood donor.



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