Meta-analyses of the validity and performance of screening tests for Hepatitis C Virus in the blood banks, 2000-2018

This study evaluated the validity and performance of the immunodiagnosis of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), based on studies published in the worldwide scientific literature. A search and selection research protocol was designed and validated in the phases of the PRISMA guide, the parameters of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, odds ratio, and ROC curve were analyzed in MetaDisc. 4602 studies were screened, of which only 545 were performed in blood banks and 18 evaluated the diagnostic validity of the tests for HCV. Most studies were from Europe and Asia, with 78 % based on antibody determination. Studies with antibody detection were carried out in 21483 healthy donors and 3145 infected patients in whom a sensitivity of 97.8 % (95 % CI = 97.3 - 98.2) was found, 99.0 % specificity (95 % CI = 98.9 - 99.2), positive likelihood ratio 75.4 (95 % CI = 27.2 - 209.2) and negative of 0.02 (95% CI = 0.01 - 0.07) and area under the curve 99.8 %. It is concluded that the detection of antibodies presents excellent validity, performance, and diagnostic utility for the detection of HCV in blood donors and the general population.