Evaluation of the vitros hiv combo 4th generation test for the identification of HIV infections.

Background: Simultaneous detection of HIV 1 and 2 antibodies and HIV-1 p-24 antigen in the 4th generation tests is particularly effective for the identification of early acute HIV infections while maintaining accurate detection of long-established infections.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the new 4th generation VITROS HIV Combo test from Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics by comparing its results with those obtained using a 3rd generation HIV 1/2 antibody test (VITROS Anti HIV 1 + 2 from Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics) and a 4th generation test (LIAISON XL HIV Ab/Ag, DiaSorin) currently used in the Microbiology Unit of Legnano Hospital.

Study Design: One thousand and three samples of the normal daily routine (Group 1) were analyzed simultaneously with the three systems.

Threshold value of LIAISON XL anti-HCV screening assay predicting positive immunoblotting results.

Some international guidelines recommend evaluating the need to confirm positive anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody screening results by means of a more specific antibody or molecular biology test on the basis of a screening threshold value (such as the sample signal/cut-off ratio) that can predict the positivity of additional antibody testing in at least 95% of cases. The aim of this study was to determine the threshold value of the DiaSorin LIAISON XL chemiluminescence test. Two hundred and twenty-eight routine laboratory samples that were chemiluminescence positive for anti-HCV antibodies but had different signal/cut-off ratios were assayed using immunoblotting, which indicated that 155 (68.

Evaluation of LIAISON® XL system for HBsAg, and anti-HCV and anti-HIV/Ag p24.

The aim of this study was to compare the data obtained using the new LIAISON® XL chemiluminescence system to search for HBsAg, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV1-2/p24 Ag with those obtained using the VITROS system currently adopted by the Microbiology Unit of the Hospital of Legnano. Routine samples of patients who were referred by practitioners for the determination of HBsAg (1,000 samples) and/or anti-HCV (1,002 samples) and/or anti-HIV1-2 (995 samples) were simultaneously analyzed using both systems. The concordant positive and discordant samples were re-examined for confirmation by means of an HBsAg neutralization assay, anti-HCV immunoblot, or anti-HIV1-2 Western blot; HBV-DNA, or HCV-RNA or HIV-RNA was also sought in the discordant samples.

Rubella antibody screening during pregnancy in an urban area of Northern Italy.

Various countries have implemented anti-rubella vaccination campaigns with the main aim of preventing congenital infection. In 2003, Italy joined the European WHO programme for the elimination of congenital rubella and issued a special healthcare plan, one of the objectives of which was to reduce the proportion of rubella-susceptible pregnant women to less than 5% by 2005. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of seronegative pregnant women after the implementation of this plan.

Incidence and risk of cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy in an urban area of Northern Italy.

The fetal consequences of CMV infection make it one of the most serious infections contracted during pregnancy, but the scientific community is divided over the proposed implementation of preventive screening for anti-CMV antibodies. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and risk of infection during pregnancy in 2817 women who underwent anti-CMV IgG and IgM antibody screening during the period 2005-2007. The prevalence of anti-CMV IgG antibodies was 68.