title: Efficacy of prophylactic gamma-globulin in preventing non-A, non-B post-transfusion hepatitis.
abstract: Of 279 cardiac-surgery patients receiving a mean of twelve transfusions, 47 had significantly increased transaminase concentrations 14 to 180 days postoperatively and 10 were icteric. Preoperatively, each patient randomly received high-titre HbsAb gamma-globulin, normal gamma-globulin, or placebo and was followed at intervals for 9 months. Only 3 patients had serological evidence of hepatitis-B infection. 3 additional patients had serological evidence of cytomegalovirus infection, while none had evidence of hepatitis-A or Epstein-Barr infection. Less icteric hepatitis occurred in patients receiving the gamma-globulin preparations (P = 0-003), and the overall frequency of hepatitis was significantly reduced when compared with recipients of placebo. The protective effects of the two gamma-globulin preparations were not significantly different. Most post-transfusion hepatitis tody is neither viral hepatitis type B nor type A, and its severity and transmission are reduced by pre-transfusion gamma-globulin.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000453:epidemiology; D010919:Placebos; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens; D010919:Placebos; D005719:gamma-Globulins