Re: Hepatitis B -- retest
- From: Robert1 <Goldentouchman@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:27:26 -0700
On Sep 24, 10:28 pm, ri...@xxxxxxxxx (Rich Wales) wrote:
Following up on my postings from last month -- when I discussed how
I had tested positive (reactive) on the hepatitis B core antibody
test, but negative on several other hepatitis B tests:
My local blood bank offered to retest me, using a new and improved
hepatitis B screening test (the PRISM test) which they had recently
started using. The results just came in, and this time I tested
"non-reactive" for the hepatitis B core antibody (combined IgG + IgM).
The people at the blood bank believe this means my earlier, reactive
anti-HBc results (from the blood bank in 2001, and from my doctor in
2003) most likely represented false positives -- i.e., that I had in
fact never been exposed to hepatitis B after all, and that my blood
most likely was (and is) safe for transfusion to others.
Now, it might be worth noting that my score on the new test, though
definitely in the non-reactive domain, was slightly iffy. On a scale
where the dividing line is 24,000, and figures higher than 24,000 are
considered non-reactive, my measurement was 30,000. According to the
blood bank expert who discussed the test with me, most of the old
"false positives" retested using the new test have been measured at
around 40,000. I was told it wasn't clear just what my "weakly non-
reactive" score means -- e.g., just what might be causing my blood
not to score as "high" on the test as others who were non-reactive
-- or, alternatively, if in fact I really have been exposed to HBV,
how long ago I would need to have been exposed for my immunity to be
as distant as it would have to be to explain all the other negative
test results.
In any case, I've been told that I'm welcome to donate blood again,
and that it's unlikely (not totally impossible, but unlikely) that
I'll test "reactive" in the future on the new hepatitis B screening
test.
Comments from anyone on the new PRISM screening test, the "false
positive" interpretation of the old results, my "slightly non-
reactive" score on the new test, whether my blood really is safe,
or anything else?
Rich Wales ri...@xxxxxxxxx http://www.richw.org
*DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. My comments are for discussion pur-
poses only and are not intended to be relied upon as medical advice.
Thanks for the follow-up. With any new tests out there there is a
learning curve with it. There are usually gray zone results or
borderline results which ever you prefer. I presume it was not in such
gray-zone area. The obvious other question is the precision of the
instrument.
There are a variety of new instruments by Abbott including Prism. I
would not be too enamoured with some of the hype given by sales reps
as the warts will show sooner or later with regards to sensitivity or
specificity. Some hepatitis testing with recent platform instruments
have been pulled from the market and only time will tell.
As to whether your blood is safe or not the BB has the final call on
that. Your NAT HBV is negative. Some have proposed getting rid of
anticore testing. The studies and discussion about that along with the
some mention of Abbott Prism testing can be seen here, scroll down
aways. There is a very remote chance that one can transmit the virus
with all the testing you have had.
http://www.fda.gov/cber/minutes/nuclacd1205p1.htm
.
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