Pilot Study on the Stability of Internal Quality Control Samples For Anti-HCV Immunodiagnostic Assays

Laboratory diagnosis of HCV infection is usually made on the basis of the detection of circulating antibodies. All laboratories carrying out anti-HCV tests, should have a well-functioning quality assurance programme. Quality control (QC) materials are crucial for Internal Quality Control (IQC) and External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS). Therefore, preparing IQC samples is cost effective QC material. The present study was carried out to identify the effects of temperature on stability of anti-HCV antibodies in plasma during storage by evaluating anti-HCV antibodies using sensitive and specific ELISA assays intended for detection of anti-HCV antibodies. The stability of anti-HCV positive samples was assessed at three different temperatures 37?C, 48?C and 65?C incubated for a period of 7 days and 14 days by two ELISA Kits. A significant decrease in E-ratios when stored at higher temperatures was observed in the present study.