RT-PCR test in confirmed diagnosis of HCV

  in HCV-Ab positive cases

 Tajbakhsh E.¹(MS) , Momtaz H.¹ (PhD), Dusti A.¹ (PhD), Yaghobi R.²(PhD), Momeni M.³(Bs)

  ¹ Department of Microbiology,Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord, Iran

  ² Organ Transplantation Research Center,Shiraz University of Medical Science, Iran

  ³ Biotechnology Research Center, Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord,Iran

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  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 Despite the fact that blood transfusion is a life saving procedure, there still exists a minimum risk for the occurrence of transfusion transmitted infections including HCV with adverse reactions and heavy cost being the immediate outcome. HCV is a health problem all over the world with 200 million people affected. Iran is classified as the country with low prevalence rate for HCV however, the new HCV incidence rate is in an increasing trend.

 Materials and Methods

 In this cross sectional research, 50 Elisa and RIBA positive samples detected out of 11472 blood donors were evaluated by RT-PCR method. The positive cases had never received any treatment for hepatitis by the time the test results were reported.

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 Results

 The results of RIBA and RT-PCR tests were compared. In RIBA, 60% of cases were positive, 16% indeterminate, and 24% negative. While in RT-PCR, the positive cases were 62% and the negative ones 38%.

 Conclusions

 The results of the present study show that the use of serological tests in diagnostic HCV infection, the application of RT-PCR in confirmation of positive results, and employment of RIBA tests in confirmation of indeterminate cases are all effective in detection of HCV infection.

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 Key words : Rt pcr, Hepatitis C virus, Iran�

 SJIBTO 2009 5(4): 287-292