Grifols Procleix Ultrio Elite

Grifols Procleix Ultrio Elite

Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) is a molecular testing used for screening blood product with the aim of reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in recipients, thus providing an additional layer of blood safety.

The NAT technology is highly sensitive and advanced, and could shorten the window period for detecting HBV to 10.34 days, HCV to 1.34 days, and HIV to 2.93 days, thereby preventing transmission through blood transfusions early in the infection phase. The NAT was introduced in developed countries in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it is now used for detecting HIV in around 33 countries worldwide, and for detecting HBV in 27 countries.

The NAT technology is highly sensitive and specific because it directly detects the nucleic acid of the virus, and it is based on the amplification of spesific regions of viral RNA or DNA. This enables earlier detection of HIV, HBV, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, compared to other screening methods. The NAT also resolves false-positive results obtained through serological methods, which is crucial for donor notification and counseling.

The NAT uses Thermal Mediated Amplification (TMA) technology which works multiplying DNA/RNA viruses at a constant temperature, thus shortening the time of virus detection. NAT also uses one-tube technology, enabling detection of 3 types of viruses (HIV1/2, HBV, and HCV) in one tube, reducing contamination and saving on consumables.

A recent study in Malaysia tested 1,388 donor samples using both serology and NAT. The authors found that 1.37% of the samples were reactive using standard serology methods, but non-reactive using NAT. These samples were confirmed as false-positive through confirmatory serological test