Correlation between serology and nucleic acid amplification test in blood donors who are reactive for hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus and evaluation of the epidemiological profile of infected people in blood centers in the State of Paraná

Abstract

Objectives To compare the results of conventional serological tests and molecular technology (NAT, Nucleic Acid Amplification Test), identify donors in the diagnostic window period, and determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among the samples of blood donors blocked by serological screening. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out by analyzing blood donor information contained in the database of 20 blood centers in Paraná, from January 2018 to December 2019. Results A total of 1,496 blood bags were reactive for HBV, HCV, or HIV in serological and/or NAT tests. The 20th Regional Health (RH) Unit had the greatest number of unfit individuals with altered screening for the three infections, with a prevalence of 0.70%. The lowest number of blocked blood donors occurred in the 15th RH, with a prevalence of 0.08%. The highest prevalence of HBV occurred in the 8th RH, with a reagent serology of 0.34% and a positive NAT of 0.17%. For HCV, the prevalence for reagent serology was 0.28%, while that for NAT was 0.02%, which occurred in the 20th RH. For HIV and for NAT, the prevalence of blood donors with positive serology occurred in the 20th RH, at 0.25% and 0.04%, retrospectively. The 13th RH had the highest prevalence of HIV in relation to NAT, that is, conventional serology in concomitance with NAT technology, at 0.07%. During the 2-year period, only 1 reactive donor in the 9th was found for NAT (HBV), in a diagnostic window. Conclusion In Paraná’s blood centers, the inability to donate due to HBV, HCV, and HIV, occurred mainly in initial donors, men, those with >8 years of education, aged 16–45 years, married, and O positive. The most affected regions were located in the west and northwest of Paraná. Most of the results showed a discrepancy between the methodologies used.

Demographic Factors Among HIV Confirmed Blood Donors from 2013 to 2021 in Shenzhen

“… 25 , 28 It has been reported that the HIV prevalence among first blood donors greatly exceeded that in repeat blood donors. 26 , 29 In this study, we observed the same trend in 2019, but in 2020, the prevalence of HIV among repeat blood donors decreased and the prevalence of HIV among first-time blood donors was higher than that among repeat blood donors in 2021. We also found that COVID-19 had a significant effect on the proportion of first-time and repeat blood donors, it was the first time in 2020 that there were more repeat blood donors than first-time blood donors from 2013 to 2021.…”

“…19,20,22,23 Some researchers' conclusions mean that HIV is related to lower education levels, 21,22,24,25 but others mean that the prevalence of HIV among blood donors with >8 years of education was higher than those with < 8 years of education. 23,26 However, in our results, we did not find significant differences in the HIV prevalence between higher-educated blood donors and lower-educated blood donors and the impact of COVID-19 on the HIV prevalence in these two groups. We only found that the percentage of blood donors with a higher educational background increased in 2020.…”