Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection.
To facilitate HCV diagnosis, we developed an HCV-RNA testing service, which involved home-sampled dried blood spots (DBS). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of self-sampling at home. Furthermore, to optimise the processing of DBS samples for RNA detection, we evaluated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2020-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231385 |
| _version_ | 1818582450960334848 |
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| author | Tamara Prinsenberg Sjoerd Rebers Anders Boyd Freke Zuure Maria Prins Marc van der Valk Janke Schinkel |
| author_facet | Tamara Prinsenberg Sjoerd Rebers Anders Boyd Freke Zuure Maria Prins Marc van der Valk Janke Schinkel |
| author_sort | Tamara Prinsenberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To facilitate HCV diagnosis, we developed an HCV-RNA testing service, which involved home-sampled dried blood spots (DBS). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of self-sampling at home. Furthermore, to optimise the processing of DBS samples for RNA detection, we evaluated two elution buffers: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and L6-buffer. 27 HCV-RNA and 12 HIV-1 RNA positive patients were included. Laboratory spotted DBS (LabDBS) were made by a technician from blood samples drawn at inclusion. Patients received a DBS home-sampling kit and were requested to return their self-sampled DBS (ssDBS) by mail. We compared the RNA load of PBS and L6-eluted labDBS, and of L6-eluted ssDBS, L6-eluted labDBS and plasma. LabDBS load measurements were repeated after 7-13 and 14-21 days to evaluate RNA stability. All 39 plasma samples provided quantifiable RNA loads. In 1/39 labDBS sample, RNA could not be detected (plasma HCV load: 2.98 log10 IU/ml). L6-eluted samples gave a 0.7 log10 and 0.6 log10 higher viral load for HCV and HIV-1 respectively, compared to PBS-eluted samples. Strong correlations were found between labDBS and ssDBS HCV RNA (r = 0.833; mean difference 0.3 log10 IU/mL) and HIV-1 RNA results (r = 0.857; mean difference 0.1 log10 copies/mL). Correlations between labDBS and plasma values were high for HCV (r = 0.958) and HIV-1 (r = 0.844). RNA loads in DBS remained stable over 21 days. Our study demonstrates that self-sampling dried blood spots at home is a feasible strategy for the detection of HCV and HIV-1 RNA. This could facilitate one-step diagnostics and treatment monitoring in communities with high HCV prevalence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:49:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dadcabdccfbd4a4fb3c2323e7b865ac1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:49:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-dadcabdccfbd4a4fb3c2323e7b865ac12022-12-21T22:38:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032020-01-01154e023138510.1371/journal.pone.0231385Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection.Tamara PrinsenbergSjoerd RebersAnders BoydFreke ZuureMaria PrinsMarc van der ValkJanke SchinkelTo facilitate HCV diagnosis, we developed an HCV-RNA testing service, which involved home-sampled dried blood spots (DBS). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of self-sampling at home. Furthermore, to optimise the processing of DBS samples for RNA detection, we evaluated two elution buffers: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and L6-buffer. 27 HCV-RNA and 12 HIV-1 RNA positive patients were included. Laboratory spotted DBS (LabDBS) were made by a technician from blood samples drawn at inclusion. Patients received a DBS home-sampling kit and were requested to return their self-sampled DBS (ssDBS) by mail. We compared the RNA load of PBS and L6-eluted labDBS, and of L6-eluted ssDBS, L6-eluted labDBS and plasma. LabDBS load measurements were repeated after 7-13 and 14-21 days to evaluate RNA stability. All 39 plasma samples provided quantifiable RNA loads. In 1/39 labDBS sample, RNA could not be detected (plasma HCV load: 2.98 log10 IU/ml). L6-eluted samples gave a 0.7 log10 and 0.6 log10 higher viral load for HCV and HIV-1 respectively, compared to PBS-eluted samples. Strong correlations were found between labDBS and ssDBS HCV RNA (r = 0.833; mean difference 0.3 log10 IU/mL) and HIV-1 RNA results (r = 0.857; mean difference 0.1 log10 copies/mL). Correlations between labDBS and plasma values were high for HCV (r = 0.958) and HIV-1 (r = 0.844). RNA loads in DBS remained stable over 21 days. Our study demonstrates that self-sampling dried blood spots at home is a feasible strategy for the detection of HCV and HIV-1 RNA. This could facilitate one-step diagnostics and treatment monitoring in communities with high HCV prevalence.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231385 |
| spellingShingle | Tamara Prinsenberg Sjoerd Rebers Anders Boyd Freke Zuure Maria Prins Marc van der Valk Janke Schinkel Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. PLoS ONE |
| title | Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. |
| title_full | Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. |
| title_fullStr | Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. |
| title_short | Dried blood spot self-sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis C RNA detection. |
| title_sort | dried blood spot self sampling at home is a feasible technique for hepatitis c rna detection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231385 |
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