Agarose Slide Eli
Agarose Slide Elisa for Diagnosis of HCV-AB
in Rural Areas
Mohammed M. Safhi1 and
Hussien A. Abouelhag2
1Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan
University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2Microbiology and Immunology Department, National
Research Centre, Dokki, Egypt
Abstract: Hepatitis
C virus (HCV) infection is a viral infection of the liver affecting 170 million
people around the world. Commercially available tests for HCV today are based
on enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) for detection of HCV-Ab. Regarding the
sophisticated equipments required for diagnosis of HCV, this this work targeted
offering a dependable field serological test that can be used in rural areas as
preliminary screening test for HCV patients. Hundred and fifty
serum samples were collected from Jazan clinics in Saudi Arabia for HCV
patients and 50 serum samples were collected from healthy volunteers. All
samples were tested for HCV-Ab using slides coated with 1.5% agarose and saturated
with HCV capside synthetic peptide (BIORAD) (10%). Fifty microliter of each
sample were applied onto spot of HCV-Ag saturated agarose and incubated in
humidified incubator for 90 min at 37οC. After which the slides were
wash. Mouse antihuman IgG labeled conjugate was added to the slides and
incubated for 30 min at 37οC. After washing the slides, 50µl
substrate (BIORAD) were added and incubated for 30 min at room temperature then
washed out. The slides were examined by naked eye and by light microscope
against controls. The obtained results were compared with standard Monolisa HCV
Ag-Ab Ultra assay and both results were matched. The results proved that
agarose slide EIA have accuracy exceeding ˃ 99%. So, agarose slide EIA can be
suggested for use in preliminary diagnosis of HCV in the field clinics of rural
areas or even in screening of blood donors in emergence cases.
[Mohammed M. Safhi and Hussien A. Abouelhag. Agarose
Slide Elisa for Diagnosis of Hcv-Ab in Rural Areas. L Life Sci
J 2013;10(1):1879-1884] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com.
Key words: HCV, slide ELISA, HCV EIA, agarose and rural areas.
