Advances in serology: views from a Roche educational seminar

Technological advances have vastly improved the serological tests available to diagnose infectious disease, enhancing their clinical usefulness and facilitating patient management. The discovery of new pathogens and the development of new assays promise to take disease diagnosis and treatment to new levels. In June, UK virology/serology consultants, laboratory managers and decision-makers attended a ‘Serology Customer Educational Seminar’, organised by Roche, to hear what challenges and opportunities can be expected of infectious disease diagnostics in the future.

Driving development
The need for better diagnostics and tools to monitor treatment is driving the development of serological technology, said Dr Mark Atkins, consultant virologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London. The use of serology tests as screening tools, providing evidence of vaccination responses and in infection control are also stimulating advances.

The ongoing identification of new pathogens heightens the need for new diagnostic tools to address new diseases. “None of the important progress in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care would have been possible without laboratory support, and patient management would be reduced to guesswork,” he said. The high levels of sensitivity and specificity of current fourth-generation HIV assays enable the earlier detection of HIV antigens and antibodies, which has significant implications for patients who are seroconverting, as that is the time when they are highly infectious. It is also important for blood transfusion services as they need to select samples that have only antigen but no antibody.