Sineenart Oota

One-year experience of nucleic acid technology testing for human immunodeficiency virus Type 1, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus in Thai blood donations

BACKGROUND: Blood donations collected at the National Blood Center, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, in 2007 were tested by nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) using the Chiron TIGRIS/Procleix Ultrio test and the Roche cobas s 201/cobas TaqScreen multiplex (MPX) test.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection in Thai blood donors

BACKGROUND: An evaluation by the National Blood Center, the Thai Red Cross Society, of two commercial multiplex nucleic acid tests (NATs; the Chiron PROCLEIX ULTRIO test and the Roche Cobas TaqScreen MPX test) for screening Thai blood donors for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 identified 175 HBV NAT–reactive/hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐negative donors. The classification of the HBV infection of these donors was confirmed by follow‐up testing.

The distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes in Thailand

Phylogenetic analysis was performed on hepatitis B virus (HBV) strains obtained from 86 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive donors from Thailand originating throughout the country. Based on the S gene, 87.5% of strains were of genotype C while 10.5% were of genotype B, with all genotype B strains obtained from patients originating from the central or the south Thailand. No genotype B strains were found in the north of Thailand. Surprisingly, one patient was infected with a genotype H strain while another patient was infected with a genotype G strain. Complete genome sequencing and recombination analysis identified the latter as being a genotype G and C2 recombinant with the breakpoint around nucleotide position 700. The origin of the genotype G fragment was not identifiable while the genotype C2 fragment most likely came from strains circulating in Laos or Malaysia. The performance of different HBsAg diagnostic kits and HBV nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) was evaluated. The genotype H and G/C2 recombination did not interfere with HBV detection. J. Med. Virol. 84:1541–1547, 2012.

The Characteristics of ABO Antibodies in Group O Thai Blood Donors

This study aimed to characterize anti‐A and anti‐B hemolysins, IgM, and IgG titers in Thai blood donors. Altogether, 300 serum samples from group O donors at the National Blood Centre, Thai Red Cross Society, were screened for anti‐A and anti‐B hemolysins and treated with 0.01 M dithiothreitol to characterize IgM and IgG titers by standard tube technique. Antibody titers were compared with hemolysis grade. Male and female ratio = 1:1.3 and ages ranged from 17 to 60 years. The overall prevalence of anti‐A and anti‐B hemolysins was 69%. Anti‐A and anti‐B hemolysins comprised 18.3% and 16.7%, respectively and 34% had both antibodies. High titers of anti‐A hemolysins were associated with females (P< 0.05), and only anti‐B IgM titers were associated with age (P< 0.05). Interestingly, the association of anti‐A IgM titers, anti‐A IgG titers, and hemolysin grade was demonstrated (P< 0.05). A significant association between hemolysin grade and anti‐B IgM titers was found (P< 0.05). The prevalence of anti‐A and anti‐B hemolysins and high titers of IgM and IgG in Thais are high. Hemolysin grade showed significant associations with IgM titers; therefore, when providing ABO‐incompatible platelet transfusion, especially for female plateletpheresis donors, IgM high titers of anti‐A and anti‐B screening is suggested. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 26:223‐226, 2012.

Genetic characterization and genotyping of hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates from donors with an occult HBV infection

Screening of Thai blood donors has resulted in the detection of donors with an occult HBV infection (OBI), where HBsAg is undetectable, but hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is present in serum in low concentrations. This study was designed to determine whether the occurrence of OBI in donors was linked to the HBV genotype and possibly to mutations in the surface (S) and core (C) gene regions.

Head‐to‐head comparison between two screening systems for HBsAG, anti‐HBc, anti‐HCV and HIV combination immunoassays in an international, multicentre evaluation study

Mandatory screening of blood donations for hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses and human immunodeficiency viruses 1 and 2 requires assays with exceptional sensitivity and specificity. This study reports the results from a direct head‐to‐head comparison of the Elecsys HBsAG II, Elecsys Anti‐HBc, Elecsys Anti‐HCV II and Elecsys HIV combi PT immunoassays with the respective ABBOTT PRISM/Architect instrument immunoassays in a multicentre blood bank evaluation study.

Roczne doświadczenie w badaniu metodami biologii molekularnej ludzkiego wirusa niedoboru odporności typu 1, wirusa zapalenia wątroby typu C oraz wirusa zapalenia wątroby typu B u krwiodawców w Tajlandii

Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme deficiency and methemoglobinemia adversely impact on blood transfusion safety by significantly increasing blood storage lesion. Objective: To determine G6PD enzyme deficiency and methemoglobin levels among blood donors in a tertiary hospital-based blood bank in Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: One hundred blood donors who met the criteria for blood donation were prospectively studied. Two milliliters of venous blood was collected from each participant into potassium-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid specimen containers and analyzed for G6PD status and methemoglobin levels by spectrophotometry, on the same day of sample collection. Results: Among the donors, 43% had normal G6PD activity (9.32 ± 2.26 U/gHb), 44% had partially enzyme deficiency (4.92 ± 1.33 U/gHb), while 13% had total deficiency (0.47 ± 3.49 U/gHb); these were statistically different (P < 0.001). Methemoglobin concentration was elevated in 25% of study participants (3.05 ± 2.30%), while it was normal in 75% (0.99% ± 0.60%); these differences were statistically different (P < 0.001). Conclusion: A significant proportion of our blood donor set has G6PD enzyme deficiency (partial or total) as well as evidence of oxidation of hemoglobin; these findings have adverse implications on transfusion safety.