Safe Blood transfusions: Still a risk in India?

Introduction: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is the latest approved method for detection of transfusion transmitted infections. With higher prevalence of infections in window period and occult infections, blood safety can be compromised when testing is done using only serological techniques. With this background this study had been taken up to compare the results of serological tests with NAT. Material and methods: Voluntary blood donations were screened for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus using ELISA. All samples were sent for ID-NAT and results of both methods were compared, analyzed individually. Results: A total of 11,393 blood units were collected during the study period. ELISA test results showed 176 (1.54%) positivity for these transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in total. Among them, 133 (75.56%) was HBV, 22 (12.5%) was HCV and 21 (11.93%) was HIV as shown by ELISA. ID-NAT test results showed 174 (1.52%) positive in total. As analyzed by individual test results, 37 (0.32%) of total blood samples showed positivity in NAT which showed negative results in ELISA. Also 38 (0.33%) of total blood samples (HBV = 27, HCV = 08, HIV = 03) which showed positivity in ELISA were negative in NAT. Conclusion: ID-NAT is definitely a useful screening method for HBV, HCV, HIV. It clarifies infections in window period, occult infections and false seroreactive cases.