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Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre.

ABSTRACT: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supported high-throughput platforms were gradually deployed across Belgium. Consequently, the role of the NRC transitioned from a specialised testing laboratory to strengthening capacity and coordinating quality assurance. Here, we outline the measures taken by the NRC, the national public health institute Sciensano and the executing clinical laboratories to ensure effective quality management of molecular testing throughout the initial two years of the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022).

SUBMITTER: Janssen R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10858549 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre.

Janssen Reile R Cuypers Lize L Laenen Lies L Keyaerts Els E Beuselinck Kurt K Janssenswillen Sunita S Slechten Bram B Bode Jannes J Wollants Elke E Van Laethem Kristel K Rector Annabel A Bloemen Mandy M Sijmons Anke A de Schaetzen Nathalie N Capron Arnaud A Van Baelen Kurt K Pascal Thierry T Vermeiren Céline C Bureau Fabrice F Vandesompele Jo J De Smet Pieter P Uten Wouter W Malonne Hugues H Kerkhofs Pierre P De Cock Jo J Matheeussen Veerle V Verhasselt Bruno B Gillet Laurent L Detry Gautier G Bearzatto Bertrand B Degosserie Jonathan J Henin Coralie C Pairoux Gregor G Maes Piet P Van Ranst Marc M Lagrou Katrien K Dequeker Elisabeth E André Emmanuel E

Virology journal 20240210 1

Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supporte ...[more]

PMID: 38341597

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Project description:IntroductionScreening and diagnostic mammography are associated with some risk of radiation-induced breast cancer. This study was conducted to establish the National Diagnostic Reference Levels (NDRLs) for digital diagnostic and screening mammography in Uganda to achieve breast radiation dose optimization.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among female participants recruited by consecutive sampling from three selected hospitals with digital mammography in Uganda. The study variables extracted from the mammography machines were exposure factors, compressed breast thickness (CBT), and Average Glandular Dose (AGD) of two standard mammogram views. The stratified National DRL was derived by calculating the 75th percentile of the AGD across all the samples at various CBT ranges for both screening and diagnostic mammography in craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views.ResultsWe included 300 participants with mean ages of 50.28±9.32 and 47.45±13.45 years for the screening and diagnostic mammography, respectively. There were statistically significant positive correlations between AGD and exposure factors (mAs, kVp) (all p-values<0.0001). For screening mammography, mAs demonstrated a strong positive correlation (r = 0.8369 in CC, 0.8133 in MLO), whereas kVp showed a positive correlation with relatively lower coefficients (r = 0.3700 in CC, 0.3080 in MLO). For diagnostic mammography, mAs exhibited an even stronger positive correlation (r = 0.8987 in CC, 0.8762 in MLO), and kVp maintained a positive correlation with somewhat lower coefficients (r = 0.4954 in CC, 0.3597 in MLO). In screening mammography, for CBT within the range of (7-39) mm, the NDRLs were (1.5mGy, 1.66mGy) in CC) and MLO views. For CBT in the range of (40-59) mm, the NDRLs were (1.78mGy, 1.87mGy), and for CBT in the range of (60-99) mm, the NDRLs were (2.18mGy, 2.22mGy). For diagnostic mammography, the NDRLs were established as (1.7mGy, 1.91mGy), (2.00mGy, 2.09mGy), and (2.63mGy, 2.81mGy) for CBT ranges of (7-39) mm, (40-59) mm, and (60-99) mm, respectively.ConclusionThe NDRLs for digital screening and diagnostic mammography in Uganda have been proposed for the first time. The NDRL values in mammography should be specific to CBT ranges and mammographic views for both diagnostic and screening mammography.

Dataset Information

Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre.

Publications

Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre.

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