Danxiao Wu1,2, Hong Zhu3,4, Xiaojuan Wang1, Fangjun Feng1, Dairong Wang1, Yiqin Hu1, Yang Yu1, Jihong Huang1, Min Wang1, Jie Dong1,2, Yaling Wu5,6, Faming Zhu7,8. 1. Blood Center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. 2. Key Laboratory of Blood Safety Research of Zhejiang Province, Jianye Road 789, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. 3. Blood Center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zhuhong@zjb.org.cn. 4. Key Laboratory of Blood Safety Research of Zhejiang Province, Jianye Road 789, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zhuhong@zjb.org.cn. 5. Blood Center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zj_yaling@sina.com. 6. Key Laboratory of Blood Safety Research of Zhejiang Province, Jianye Road 789, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zj_yaling@sina.com. 7. Blood Center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zfm00@hotmail.com. 8. Key Laboratory of Blood Safety Research of Zhejiang Province, Jianye Road 789, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. zfm00@hotmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for blood screening has been previously performed in some countries to determine NAT yields. The current study sought to explore the non-discriminating reactive NAT yields using individual-NAT (ID-NAT) and characteristics of HBV NAT yields through a 10-year retrospective analysis in Zhejiang, China. METHODS: Blood donations were analyzed using individual-NAT mode by the transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) method. Supplementary HBV serological tests were performed using chemiluminescent immunoassay, and HBV viral load assay was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Follow-up studies were performed in partial donors with low HBV viral loads. RESULTS: Non-discriminating reactive NAT yields and HBV NAT yields varied in different years. The yields ranged from 853.73 per million to 2018.68 per million and 624.60 per million to 1669.50 per million, respectively. In the 476 NAT yields, 19 were probable window periods (WP), 33 probable occult hepatitis B virus infections (OBIs), 409 were confirmed OBIs and 15 were chronic HBV infections. ID-NAT results were categorized in four groups, and the findings showed that the levels of HBV DNA viral loads were different in the four different groups (χ2 = 275.02, p < 0.01). HBV viral load distribution was significantly different between anti-HBs positive and anti-HBc positive samples (χ2 = 49.429, p < 0.01). Notably, only 42.03% donors were NAT repeated positive in the 138 repeat donors' follow up tests. CONCLUSION: NAT screening of blood donations can reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infections. Positive proportions of anti-HBs and anti-HBc are correlated with the HBV viral load level. However, low level of viral load donors pose risks in HBV NAT assays, and show fluctuating state for HBV viral load and leads to non-repeated NAT results during follow up studies.
BACKGROUND: Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for blood screening has been previously performed in some countries to determine NAT yields. The current study sought to explore the non-discriminating reactive NAT yields using individual-NAT (ID-NAT) and characteristics of HBV NAT yields through a 10-year retrospective analysis in Zhejiang, China. METHODS: Blood donations were analyzed using individual-NAT mode by the transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) method. Supplementary HBV serological tests were performed using chemiluminescent immunoassay, and HBV viral load assay was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Follow-up studies were performed in partial donors with low HBV viral loads. RESULTS: Non-discriminating reactive NAT yields and HBV NAT yields varied in different years. The yields ranged from 853.73 per million to 2018.68 per million and 624.60 per million to 1669.50 per million, respectively. In the 476 NAT yields, 19 were probable window periods (WP), 33 probable occult hepatitis B virus infections (OBIs), 409 were confirmed OBIs and 15 were chronic HBV infections. ID-NAT results were categorized in four groups, and the findings showed that the levels of HBV DNA viral loads were different in the four different groups (χ2 = 275.02, p < 0.01). HBV viral load distribution was significantly different between anti-HBs positive and anti-HBc positive samples (χ2 = 49.429, p < 0.01). Notably, only 42.03% donors were NAT repeated positive in the 138 repeat donors' follow up tests. CONCLUSION: NAT screening of blood donations can reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HBV infections. Positive proportions of anti-HBs and anti-HBc are correlated with the HBV viral load level. However, low level of viral load donors pose risks in HBV NAT assays, and show fluctuating state for HBV viral load and leads to non-repeated NAT results during follow up studies.