2019 · Canadian journal of gastroenterology & hepatology · open access
Applicability of Oral Fluid and Dried Blood Spot for Hepatitis B Virus Diagnosis
Villar et al.
The finding, in our words
This review found that oral fluid and dried blood spot microsampling can detect hepatitis B virus serological and DNA markers with variable sensitivity ranging from 13 to 100 percent depending on collection method, study population, and assay used. These decentralised sampling approaches could increase access to hepatitis B screening in remote areas and high-risk groups.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
This review establishes that microsampling across blood, saliva, urine and stool matrices offers validated workflows and regulatory recognition for human biomonitoring comparable to conventional methods. It finds that these decentralised approaches enhance participant acceptability and enable screening in remote or low-resource settings.
Most telehealth-supervised, participant-collected saliva, oropharyngeal swab, and dried blood spot specimens were judged suitable and biologically sufficient for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and serology testing in a pilot cohort. This validates decentralised, patient-centric microsampling for infectious disease screening.
Guest et al., JMIR public health and surveillance · source ↗
The study validated a semi-quantitative protocol for Epstein-Barr virus serology using dried blood spots, demonstrating 98.8% sensitivity and 96.5% specificity compared to paired venous serum samples. The successful validation in a self-sampling cohort confirms the suitability of this patient-centric microsampling approach for large-scale seroprevalence studies and decentralised trials.
Capillary samples collected using dried blood spots and Mitra microsamplers showed strong agreement with venous plasma for quantifying IgG antibodies against most vaccine-preventable diseases. Sensitivity was high for the majority of pathogens, though the study noted that antibody stability declined at room temperature over time, favouring cold storage for longer durations.
Ombati et al., Scientific reports (paywalled) · source ↗
Task sharing dried blood spot collection for HIV viral load testing with community lay cadres achieved high diagnostic agreement with healthcare worker collections and was highly acceptable to patients. This approach offers a viable strategy to overcome healthcare worker shortages and support decentralised viral load monitoring in resource-limited settings.
Prust et al., PLOS global public health · source ↗