Comparative evaluation of the QIAGEN QIAsymphony^® SP system and bioMérieux NucliSens easyMAG automated extraction platforms in a clinical virology laboratory

Background: The QIAGEN QIAsymphony^® SP is an automated system that can process a variety of different sample types for nucleic acid extraction. Objectives: To compare this system against the bioMérieux NucliSens easyMAG using a range of common clinical sample types. Study design: Nucleic acid extracts were tested on 6 in-house real time viral PCR assays: quantitative cytomegalovirus (CMV); respiratory and enteric multiplex (10 viruses); influenza A H1N1 2009 specific H1 and N1 assays (sH1/N1); herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1, HSV 2 and varicella zoster virus (VZV) multiplex; norovirus genogroups I and II (Noro GI/II) multiplex. Results: Extraction of the clinical sample by either QIAsymphony^® SP or NucliSens easyMAG gave similar results for each PCR; CMV viral loads, 52 plasma samples had a mean difference (easyMAG-QIAsymphony^®) of 0.002log₁₀copies/ml (s.d. 0.536), 52 whole blood samples had a mean difference of -0.232log₁₀copies/ml (s.d. 0.490). Concordance for the qualitative assays were; 64/67 (95.5%) for the respiratory and enteric multiplex, all 28 (100%) for the sH1, sN1 and influenza A matrix multiplex, 33/34 (97%) for the HSV1/HSV2/VZV multiplex and all 15 (100%) for the Noro GI/II.Inter- and intra-run variation, determined for a 10-fold dilution series of CMV (5.20-3.20log₁₀copies/ml), was less than 0.63log₁₀copies/ml. Conclusions: Our evaluation found the performance of the QIAsymphony^® SP comparable to the NucliSens easyMAG for a range of sample types commonly extracted in a clinical virology laboratory. In total, 331/343 (96.5%) PCR results were concordant on samples extracted by both platforms.