DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIUM FOR BLOOD SAFETY (ICBS) HCV PANELS

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of assays used to screen blood for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the International Consortium for Blood Safety (ICBS) established fully characterized ICBS panels. ICBS collected and characterized 1007 anti-HCV-positive plasma units from geographically diverse origins by ELISA, RIBA, RT-PCR, and sequence-based genotyping, 539 of which met the definition of a true positive. Of these, 200 confirmed positive plasma units, representing the 6 major HCV genotypes, were selected to assemble the true-positive constituents of the panel. The negative panel comprises 181 plasma units collected from the USA. The panels have proved valuable for determining the performance of anti-HCV assays thus permitting national authorities, especially in resource-limited countries, to make informed deci- sions on selection of affordable and reliable assays. Creation par l'International Consortium for Blood Safety (ICBS) de panels pour le depistage du VHC RESUME Afin d'evaluer la sensibilite et la specificite des tests utilises pour effectuer une recherche d'anticorps diriges contre le VHC (virus de l'hepatite C) dans le sang, l'International Consortium for Blood Safety (ICBS) a cree des panels correctement definis. L'ICBS a recueilli et caracterise 1007 unites de plasma anti-VHC positives provenant de zones geographiques diverses en utilisant les tests ELISA, RIBA, RT-PCR et le genotypage par l'analyse des sequences ; 539 d'entre elles correspondaient a la definition d'un vrai positif. Sur ces unites, 200 confirmees positives representant les six principaux genotypes VHC ont ete selectionnees pour constituer les vrais positifs du panel. Le panel negatif est constitue de 181 unites de plasma recueillies aux Etats-Unis. Les panels se sont averes utiles pour determiner la performance des tests anti-VHC, ce qui a permis aux autorites nationales, notamment dans les pays disposant de ressources limitees, de choisir en connaissance de cause des tests abordables et fiables. �AbF≥∂=�H>√J∂◊=� l∆�™�u>iŸ�AhI…o� ∏—>¢ea=b¢C