Tamara Emanuela Cervone

Dr. Tamara Emanuela Cervone


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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7 March 2024 in Diagnostics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
EZElena Zocca
Elena Zocca
SSSilva Seraceni
Silva Seraceni
TCTeresa Cafaro
Teresa Cafaro
TCTamara Emanuela Cervone
Tamara Emanuela Cervone
LCLaura Cardarelli
Laura Cardarelli
FBFrancesco Broccolo
Francesco Broccolo
(1) Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening mostly uses a one-assay anti-HCV testing approach, which has a higher probability of false-positive results in populations with low HCV prevalence. (2) Methods: In this investigation, 17,926 participants were screened for HCV, and the reactives were tested using a two-assay anti-HCV approach: Elecsys ElectroChemiLuminescence (ECL) and a ChemiLuminescence ImmunoAssay (CLIA), respectively. A recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) was performed to confirm anti-HCV positivity. Statistical analysis was performed. (3) Results: A total of 350 specimens were reactive in the ECL screening, of which CLIA retesting showed that 292 (83.4%) were anti-HCV reactive (283 positives, 9 indeterminate, none negative by RIBA), but 58 (16.6%) were not anti-HCV reactive (15 positive, 12 indeterminate, 31 negatives by RIBA). The two-assay strategy significantly improved the positive predictive value (PPV: 95.00%) with χ2: 7.59 (p < 0.01) compared to the PPV assessed by one assay (PPV: 90.6%) with χ2: 34.51 (p < 0.001). The ROC curve defined a sensibility and specificity for the dual approach of 99.66% and 100.00%. (4) Conclusions: Compared with a one-assay testing strategy, the two-assay testing strategy may significantly reduce false positives in anti-HCV testing and identify inactive HCV infection in low seroprevalence populations.

8 January 2024 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
EZElena Zocca
Elena Zocca
SSSilva Seraceni
Silva Seraceni
TCTeresa Cafaro
Teresa Cafaro
TCTamara Emanuela Cervone
Tamara Emanuela Cervone
LCLaura Cardarelli
Laura Cardarelli
FBFrancesco Broccolo
Francesco Broccolo
(1) Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening mostly uses a one-assay anti-HCV testing approach, which has a higher probability of false-positive results in populations with low HCV prevalence. (2) Methods: In this investigation, 17,926 participants, were screened for HCV, and the reactives were tested using a two-assay anti-HCV approach: Elecsys ElectroChemiLuminescence (ECL) and a ChemiLuminescence ImmunoAssay (CLIA), respectively. A recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) was performed to confirm anti-HCV positivity. Statistical analysis was performed. (3) Results: A total of 350 specimens resulted reactive in the ECL screening, of which CLIA retesting showed that 292 (83.4%) were anti-HCV reactive (283 positive, 9 indeterminate, none negative by RIBA), but 58 (16.6%) were not anti-HCV reactive (15 positive, 12 indeterminate, 31 negative by RIBA). The two-assay strategy significantly improved the positive predictive value (PPV: 95.00%) with χ2: 7.59(p<0.01) then the PPV assessed by one assay (PPV: 90.6%) with χ2: 34.51 (p< 0.001). The ROC curve defined a sensibility and specificity for the dual approach of: 99.66% and 100.00%. (4) Conclusions: Compared with a one-assay testing strategy, the two-assay testing strategy may significantly reduce false positives in anti-HCV testing and identify inactive HCV infection in low seroprevalence populations.