Molecular Detection of Hepatitis B Virus Among HBsAg Non-Reactive Blood of Donors

Habibat Bello; AbdulKadir Bashir; Babalola Oladayo Musa; Ibrahim Damilare Boyenle; Ashiru Mojeed Ayoola; R. A. Sulyman

doi:10.53704/fujnas.v11i2.402

Authors

Habibat Bello Kebbi State University of Science and Technology
AbdulKadir Bashir
Babalola Oladayo Musa
Ibrahim Damilare Boyenle
Ashiru Mojeed Ayoola
R. A. Sulyman fedearl polytechnic Ayede

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53704/fujnas.v11i2.402

Keywords:

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; HBsAg; PCR; DNA testing

Abstract

Despite all blood donations being tested routinely for HBsAg as a clinical marker of transmissible HBV, cases of post-transfusion hepatitis B virus infection are still being reported because molecular studies using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) are not routinely available for Transfusion Transmissible Infection (TTIs) testing. In this study, we sought to use the PCR technique to re-screen donated blood that had already been proven to be HBsAg non-reactive with rapid diagnostic testing and ELISA. One hundred and eighty-five samples were obtained from a proportion of the blood deposited at the blood bank of the Federal Medical Center, Birnin-Kebbi, Nigeria. Socio-demographic parameters such as age group, status, ethnicity, occupation, and group PCV were obtained from donors' records. Nested PCR was employed to detect HBV DNA. Furthermore, genotyping was performed to determine HBV genotypes in the positive samples using PCR with genotype-specific primers. Of the 185 donors, it was observed that five (2.7%) of the population were positive for HBV. HBV is more common among people aged 18–30, singles, Hausa, and self-employed. In addition, the five positive samples were of genotype E. This study suggests the need to complement antibody-based tests with DNA testing for effective HBV screening and consequent safe transfusion.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus; HBsAg; PCR; DNA testing

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