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Updated: Nov 15, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Sensitivity and Specificity of Hepatitis B Virus Screening via Rapid Immunoassay Chromatographic Test
Rukhsana Saboor Soomro1, Iftikhar Ali Shah2, Abdul Saboor3
1Pathology, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital, Sukkur, PAK.
Introduction:
In low-income and high hepatitis B and C virus burden countries like Pakistan, it is important to develop cheap yet efficient strategies in diagnosing as well as treating hepatitis. The aim of this study is to assess the sensitivity and specificity of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) via Rapid Immunoassay Chromatographic Test (RICT) for the screening of hepatitis B, compared to the gold standard laboratory-based method.
Methods:
The study was conducted in the Hepatology Clinic of Civil Hospital, Sukkur. All records of the clinic from June 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018, were accessed for identification of the records in which hepatitis B screening via RICT and then confirmatory polymerase chair reaction (PCR) by gene amplification with forward and reverse primers was done.
Results:
There were 151 samples in this study. There were 32 (94.1%) true-positive and three (5.8%) false-negative samples. There were two (2.5%) false-positive and 114 (97.4%) true-negative samples. The sensitivity of HbsAg detection via RICT for the screening of 1-1B V was 91.43%, specificity was 98.28% and the accuracy was 96.69%, compared to PCR.
Conclusion:
The RICT method has high sensitivity and specificity. In low-income and high-hepatitis B virus-burden countries like Pakistan, it serves as a very efficient screening tool that is easy to use, cheaper in cost, and gives rapid and accurate results.
