title: [Examination of a Berlin blood donation branch for antibodies to hepatitis C virus with the anti-HCV test and for circulating HCV-RNA using polymerase chain reaction].
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for the majority of cases of transfusion-related hepatitis. We performed a first-generation anti-HCV EIA in 665 repeat and 168 first-time blood donors from Berlin. 4.7 and 4.2%, respectively, showed at least one indeterminate or positive result. We further looked for HCV genome in the plasma of 20 donors with reactive anti-HCV-EIA doing a polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR). The control group consisted of 20 patients with chronic hepatitis C. The PCR was negative in all examined blood donors, but was positive in 17 of 20 controls. These findings raise the question, if a positive anti-HCV test correlates with infectiosity.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Innere Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Rudolf-Virchow, Freie Universität Berlin, BRD.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauditz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeiler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zingsem
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Heuft
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hopf
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huhn
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckstein
mesh_terms: D001604:Berlin; D001771:Blood Banks; D001782:Blood Donors; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008403:Mass Screening; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral
vernacular_title: Untersuchung eines Berliner Blutspenderstammes auf Antikörper gegen Hepatitis-C-Virus im Anti-HCV-test und auf zirkulierende HCV-RNA mittels Polymerase-Ketten-Reaktion.