Research Investigations into the Suitability of the LCx® Platform for Detection of Bloodborne Viruses

Objective: To evaluate the suitability of the LCx(R) platform for detecting the presence of HIV, HBV and HCV in plasma specimens.Results: HIV-1 or HIV-2, HBV and HCV nucleic acids could be detected in plasma specimens at an analytical sensitivity of 10-20 copies per reaction (34-68 copies per mi using the equivalent of 0.29 ml plasma). The HIV test could detect culture isolates of group M subtypes A-G and group O. The HCV test detected genotypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Significant reduction of detection window periods were observed for all three viruses. A single sample processing could be used to purify the RNA and DNA genomes of these three viruses simultaneously. An internal control was amplified and detected simultaneously for each test.Conclusions: The semi-automated LCx(R) platform is suitable for providing sensitive, accurate results for all three viral analytes. This platform has potential as a valuable tool in reducing the risks of transfusion-associated viral infection.