Commercial enzyme immunoassay adapted for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in dried blood spots

BackgroundDried blood spots (DBS) provide a convenient method for blood sample collection in many settings where the prevalence of infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is increasing. Consequently, HCV assays are required that produce reliable results using samples derived from DBS.Objectives and study designThe optimum buffer for the elution of samples from DBS was selected and the performance of a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was evaluated using these DBS eluates and paired plasma samples.ResultsDBS with paired plasma samples were compared using this modified commercial EIA, which was found to have an estimated sensitivity and specificity of approximately 100% for detecting anti-HCV antibodies in DBS.ConclusionA DBS-based assay for the detection of antibodies to HCV will prove valuable for collecting epidemiological data in the field or in under resourced settings.