Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in Italian haemophiliacs injected with virus-inactivated concentrates: five year follow-up and correlation with antibodies to other viruses.
The overall prevalence of anti-HCV antibody in a group of 125 haemophiliacs was 62%. Four patients who had never received replacement therapy were anti-HCV negative. Of the 121 patients injected regularly with commercial concentrates, 76 were already anti-HCV seropositive in 1985 and remained so throughout the follow-up. Two patients seroconverted in 1987 without obvious signs or symptoms of hepatitis. Our patients were treated with dry heat-treated concentrates since 1985 and with wet heat- or solvent/detergent-treated concentrates since 1988. The absence of further seroconversions and of symptoms of acute post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis since 1988 suggest that present virucidal treatments of concentrates are effective in preventing HCV transmission. Anti-HCV positivity appeared to be unrelated to the type and degree of haemophilia as well as to the presence of antibodies to hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus type 1, and human herpesvirus type 6.
Pistello
M
M
Department of Biomedicine, University of Pisa, Italy.
Ceccherini-Nelli
L
L
Cecconi
N
N
Bendinelli
M
M
Panicucci
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D014765:Viral Vaccines
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D015164:Vaccines, Inactivated; D014765:Viral Vaccines