J Lab Med Qual Assur.  2015 Sep;37(3):124-133. 10.15263/jlmqa.2015.37.3.124.

Annual Report on the External Quality Assessment Scheme of Viral Markers and Serological Tests for Syphilis in Korea (2014)

• Cha YJ
• Bae JH
• Park Q
• Chae SL
• Immunoserology Subcommittee, The Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service

• KMID: 2200315
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15263/jlmqa.2015.37.3.124

Abstract

As Immunoserology Subcommittee of the Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service, we organized two trials on the external quality assessment of viral markers and serological tests for syphilis (STS) in 2014. For this purpose, we delivered three kinds of pooled sera specimens for external proficiency testing to 1,060 and 1,064 institutions for the first and second trials, respectively. Pooled sera were checked for their homogeneity and stability by using more than three other methods between the day of their manufacture and 3 days after despatching. The numbers of participating laboratories were 1,053 (99.3%) and 1,046 (99.3%) in the first and second trials, respectively. The most commonly tested items were hepatitis B surface antigen, followed by antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-human immunodeficiency virus, anti-hepatitis C virus, STS, and anti-hepatitis B core. The most frequently used methods for detecting viral markers were the chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) and the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, which generated few false positive results. In contrast, false negative results were frequently found through the immunochromatography assay, the use of which for detecting viral markers has been steadily increasing in recent years. Furthermore, the use of turbidoimmunoassay and CLIA, which are new tests recently introduced for the measurement of non-treponemal and treponemal antibodies, is also increasing.

Keyword

External quality assessment; Hepatitis B; Hepatitis C; HIV; Immunoassay; Laboratory proficiency testing; Serology; Syphilis

MeSH Terms

Antibodies
Biomarkers*
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
Hepatitis C
HIV
Immunoassay
Immunochromatography
Korea*
Laboratory Proficiency Testing
Luminescence
Serologic Tests*
Syphilis*
Antibodies
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens