Publications by authors named "B Ofenloch-Haehnle"

Objectives: To assess aerosol formation during processing of model samples in a simulated real-world laboratory setting, then apply these findings to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to assess the risk of infection to laboratory operators.

Design: This study assessed aerosol formation when using cobas e analyzers only and in an end-to-end laboratory workflow. Recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was used as a surrogate marker for infectious SARS-CoV-2 viral particles.

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The Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics) was developed to provide accurate, reliable detection of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We evaluated sensitivity, specificity, cross-reactivity, and agreement with a vesicular stomatitis virus-based pseudoneutralization assay for the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay. Sensitivity and agreement between Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoassay and pseudoneutralization assay measurements were evaluated using samples from patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, a majority of whom were hospitalized.

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The clinical relevance of vitamin D calls for analytically reliable and cost-effective testing methods. 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the storage form of vitamin D in the blood circulation, is widely accepted as the best indicator of the individual vitamin D status. 25(OH)D immunoassays play a major role in routine testing in the clinical laboratory and many new automated immunoassays have been introduced to the market by the diagnostic industry in recent years.

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Epidemiological investigations of GB virus C (GBV-C)/hepatitis G virus (HGV), an infectious agent discovered in 1995/1996, are facilitated by a recently developed immunoassay for the detection of antibodies to the viral envelope 2 protein (anti-E2). We used this assay to establish GBV-C/HGV prevalence in seven European, African, and Asian countries. A total of 1579 serum samples from healthy adults lacking prior exposure to known parenteral risk factors was screened.

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In order to elucidate the structure and morphology of hepatitis G virus (HGV), a recently isolated flavivirus, we generated a panel of eight monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the putative second envelope protein (E2) following DNA immunization. The MAbs were shown to be specific for four different epitopes on recombinant E2. MAb Mc6 was the only antibody able to detect the linear epitope LTGGFYEPL.

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