Detection of hepatitis C viral sequences in blood donations by "nested" polymerase chain reaction and prediction of infectivity.
Of 1100 blood donations tested during a prospective study of post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH), 6 (0.55%) were repeatedly reactive in a commercial assay for antibodies to the C100 protein of hepatitis C virus. Only 1 of the 6 donations (17%) transmitted NANBH to a recipient. Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences were detected in the serum of the transmitting donor by an assay which used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and non-radioisotopic detection. No such sequences were detected in the other 5 donors positive for anti-C100. Stored serum samples from blood donors who had been involved in three episodes of post-transfusion NANBH in 1981 also contained hepatitis C viral sequences. Although the PCR assay in its present form is not suitable for mass donor screening, the presence of hepatitis C viral sequences detected by PCR in blood donations seems a better predictor of infectivity than the presence of anti-C100 alone.
Garson
J A
JA
Department of Medical Microbiology, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London, UK.
Tedder
R S
RS
Briggs
M
M
Tuke
P
P
Glazebrook
J A
JA
Trute
A
A
Parker
D
D
Barbara
J A
JA
Contreras
M
M
Aloysius
S
S
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; C064544:C100 protein, hepatitis C virus; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D012367:RNA, Viral; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins