LAUSR

The aim of this study was to compare the data obtained using the new LIAISON® XL chemiluminescence system to search for HBsAg, anti‐HCV, and anti‐HIV1‐2/p24 Ag with those obtained using the VITROS system currently adopted by the Microbiology Unit of the Hospital of Legnano. Routine samples of patients who were referred by practitioners for the determination of HBsAg (1,000 samples) and/or anti‐HCV (1,002 samples) and/or anti‐HIV1‐2 (995 samples) were simultaneously analyzed using both systems. The concordant positive and discordant samples were re‐examined for confirmation by means of an HBsAg neutralization assay, anti‐HCV immunoblot, or anti‐HIV1‐2 Western blot; HBV‐DNA, or HCV‐RNA or HIV‐RNA was also sought in the discordant samples. Samples of patients known to be positive were tested (100 HBsAg positive, 100 anti‐HCV positive, and 100 HIV 1‐2 positive) as well throughout treatment, with viremia levels becoming undetectable after treatment. The HBsAg, anti‐HCV, and anti‐HIV1‐2 concordance between the two systems in routine series was respectively 99.8%, 98.5% and 99.7%, and 100% for all markers in samples known positive. The various molecular biology and confirmatory tests of the discordant samples were all negative (except for one anti‐HCV positive sample). Measure of Cohen's kappa coefficient for HBsAg, anti‐HCV, and anti‐HIV gave K values of respectively 0.992, 0.946, and 0.980. In conclusion, the performance of the LIAISON® XL system in the routine laboratory determination for all three markers was comparable with that of the VITROS system. J. Med. Virol. 89:489–496, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.