Researchers develop inexpensive blood tests to diagnose patients with hepatitis B

July 2, 2018

A simple $ 20 blood test could help diagnose thousands of patients in need of treatment in some of the poorest areas of Africa.

The researchers developed an accurate diagnostic score consisting of inexpensive blood tests to identify patients requiring immediate treatment against the deadly hepatitis B virus – which can lead to liver damage or cancer.

The score consists of two simple blood tests: one assay for the presence of antigens, proteins produced by the virus and another for enzymes produced by the liver in response, to accurately assess the patients for treatment.

The score was found to be as accurate as existing methods for identifying patients requiring immediate treatment, but at a fraction of the cost, $ 20 versus $ 100-500 for current tests.

It is also much more accessible than existing methods – such as liver biopsy or HBV DNA, a much more complicated blood sample analysis – that requires s resources and labs that are not still available in sub-Saharan Africa

Researchers at Imperial College London and the Gambia Medical Research Council Unit of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in collaboration with the University of London. Pasteur Institute of Paris and others and European institutions, have used data from hundreds of Hepatitis B patients in The Gambia who were part of the PROLIFICA (Prevention of Fibrosis Liver and Cancer) study in Africa).

Clinical data from more than 800 patients with hepatitis B tested through the PROLIFICA program, were used to develop this new score.

The tests were then validated with data from African patients in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The results are published in the Journal of Hepatology

The new diagnostic test, called TREAT-B, was found to accurately identify HBV-positive patients who require treatment in 85% of patients. case (sensitivity). 779003] Scientists say additional research is needed, but if the test is successful in larger studies, it could be widely used to identify patients in need of treatment for hepatitis B and refer thousands of people for a treatment that can save their lives. The test could also be developed for use as a finger prick test, similar to those used to detect HIV, to obtain faster results.

The researchers also found that the diagnostic method worked at all stages of the disease. Dr. Maud Lemoine of Imperial, co-author of the study, said, "These results show that this simple and inexpensive test could be a precise way to diagnose patients in need of treatment." treatment for hepatitis B in countries with limited resources.

"This could potentially help diagnose and then treat thousands of people in Africa."

Yusuke Shimakawa, co-author of the Pasteur Institute: Once these findings validated by other studies, they could potentially be incorporated into the WHO guidelines and local guidelines – and implemented in daily practice.

"There is a great potential to diagnose more people and improve access to treatment.

Viral hepatitis is a major global health problem and in 2013, about 1.45 million people have died of the virus.It is the seventh leading cause of death in the world and nearly half of deaths are attributable to infection with the hepatitis B virus.

The virus Hepatitis B infects around 250 million people worldwide and is transmitted through blood and body fluids.In Africa, it is usually transferred from mother to child at birth or between births. However, the virus causes no immediate symptoms and may remain undetectable in the body for decades until severe complications such as liver damage (cirrhosis) and cancer are caused.

The most common area affected by hepatitis B is sub-Saharan Africa No. millions of people are infected.