Disparities in detection of antibodies against hepatitis E virus in US blood donor samples using commercial assays.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Reported hepatitis E virus (HEV) antibody assay performance characteristics are variable. Using a subset of surplus US blood donation samples, we compared assays for detecting anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (Ig)M and IgG or total anti-HEV antibodies.

Study design and methods

Samples from 5040 random blood donations, all HEV-RNA negative, collected primarily in the midwestern United States in 2015 were tested for anti-HEV IgM and IgG or total anti-HEV using assays manufactured by Diagnostic Systems, Wantai, and MP Biomedicals.

Results

Overall, the percentage of detection for anti-HEV IgG and total anti-HEV was 11.4%, and for anti-HEV IgM was 1.8%. Nine samples were reactive for anti-HEV IgM by all assays, giving a recent infection rate of 0.18%. Anti-HEV IgG/tota

SUBMITTER: Zafrullah M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5912996 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature