ArticlePloS one2016
Dry Blood Spots a Reliable Method for Measurement of Hepatitis B Viral Load in Resource-Limited Settings.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Detection of Viral Nucleic Acid in Specimens Spotted on Commercial Filter Papers: A Review and Meta-Analysis.Viruses · 2026Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy of detection and quantification of HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA using dried blood spot (DBS) samples - a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2017Pooled it
- Treatment of chronic hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa: 1-year results of a pilot program in Ethiopia.BMC medicine · 2018Trial
- Pilot Evaluation of Simplified HBV DNA Extraction-LAMP Workflows for Hepatitis B Molecular Testing in Resource-Limited Settings.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Dried Blood Spots and Plasma Separation Cards can Broaden Access to Molecular Testing for HBV, HCV and HIV.Reviews in medical virology · 2025Review
- A comparative study of extraction free detection of HBV DNA using sodium dodecyl sulfate, N-lauroylsarcosine sodium salt, and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Article
- Intermediate hepatitis B virus infection prevalence among 1622 pregnant women in rural Burkina Faso and implications for mother-to-child transmission.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Dried blood spot sampling for hepatitis B virus quantification, sequencing and mutation detection.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Improving care of migrants is key for viral hepatitis elimination in Europe.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2021Article
- Comparison of four extraction methods for the detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in dried blood spot samples.MicrobiologyOpen · 2021Article
- Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis B in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2019Article
- Applicability of Oral Fluid and Dried Blood Spot for Hepatitis B Virus Diagnosis.Canadian journal of gastroenterology & hepatology · 2019Review
- Screening for retroviruses and hepatitis viruses using dried blood spots reveals a high prevalence of occult hepatitis B in Ghana.Therapeutic advances in infectious diseaseArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND &
aimsHepatitis B virus (HBV) quantification is essential in the management of chronic hepatitis B, both to determine treatment eligibility and in the monitoring of treatment effect. This test, however, is rarely available in resource-limited settings due to high costs and stringent requirements for shipment and storage of plasma. Dried Blood Spots (DBS) can be a convenient alternative to plasma, but its use for HBV monitoring has not been investigated under real-life conditions in Africa.
methodsThe performance of DBS in HBV quantification was investigated using a modified commercial test (Abbott RealTime HBV assay). Paired DBS and plasma samples were collected from an HBV positive cohort in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. DBS were stored at ambient temperature for 4-39 days before shipment to the laboratory.
resultsTwenty-six paired samples were selected covering the total range of quantification, from 2.14 log IU/ml to >7 log IU/ml. HBV was detected in 21 of 21 (100%) DBS from patients with a corresponding plasma viral load above 2.70 log IU/ml. The mean difference between plasma and DBS was 0.59 log IU/ml, and the correlation was strong (R2 = 0.92). In stability studies there was no significant change in DBS viral load after storage at room temperature for up to 12 weeks.
conclusionsThis study suggests that DBS can be a feasible and reliable alternative to plasma for quantification of HBV in resource-limited settings. DBS can expand access to antiviral treatment for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.