title: A prospective study of posttransfusion hepatitis in Taiwan.
abstract: In a follow-up study of 6 months or more of two hundred and ninety-six patients who had received blood transfusion, 37 (12.5%) developed acute posttransfusion hepatitis. Patients with posttransfusion hepatitis had significantly higher donor numbers and transfusion amounts than patients without hepatitis. Frequency was not related to the age, sex or hepatitis B carriage of recipients. There were no cases of fulminant hepatitis. Of 37 patients with hepatitis, 36 were diagnosed as non-A, non-B hepatitis and one as hepatitis B. Twenty-two (59.5%) of the 36 patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis seroconverted to hepatitis C antibody. Two of these were positive for hepatitis C antibody before transfusion and 12 were negative for hepatitis C antibody. Thirty-three of the 36 patients were followed-up for more than 6 months after the onset of hepatitis. While 13 of the 33 patients recovered, the remaining 20 (60.6%) patients still had persistent liver test abnormalities 6 months after the onset of hepatitis. Seventeen (85%) of the 20 patients who developed chronic hepatitis were hepatitis C antibody positive. In contrast, only four (30%) of the 13 patients who recovered after acute hepatitis were positive for the hepatitis C antibody. Chronicity rate was not related to the patient's sex, age, transfusion amount or donor number. Our results suggest a high frequency of posttransfusion hepatitis C in Taiwan and that the infection has a high risk of chronicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies