Prevention of posttransfusional non-A, non-B hepatitis by a screening test for hepatitis C virus antibody of donor bloods.
The preventive effect on posttransfusional non-A, non-B hepatitis (PTH) of screening out HCV-Ab positive blood and the prevalence of HCV-Ab-positive donor blood were examined. The incidence of HCV-Ab-positivity in donor blood A was 0.9% and that in donor blood B was 1.35%. The mean ALT and guanase levels were 11.5 +/- 5.8 and 0.58 +/- 0.24 IU/l in HCV-Ab negative blood and 17.3 +/- 7.9 and 0.84 +/- 0.23 IU/l in HCV-Ab-positive blood. Both levels were significantly higher in HCV-Ab-positive blood. These differences were considered to be nonspecific, but there may be some relationship between the levels of ALT and guanase in donor blood and the HCV carrier status. After adoption the screening test for HCV-Ab positive blood, there was no case of a definite diagnosis of PTH, although 4 patients (6.6%) suspected of developing PTH. So, the incidence of PTH was clearly lower than the lowest incidence before adoption of this test. Therefore, we conclude that screening for HCV-Ab in donor blood should be routinely used for prevention of PTH.
Ito
S
S
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Japan.
Takaoka
T
T
Kajimoto
Y
Y
Muguruma
N
N
Fukuda
T
T
Okabe
T
T
Horikita
M
M
Hibino
S
S
Hayashi
H
H
Honda
H
H
D001782:Blood Donors; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies