title: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies in Italian blood donors. The Italian Cooperative Group.
abstract: 11,117 blood donors from 24 blood transfusion services evenly distributed throughout the various Italian regions were tested for the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in the serum and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. The results are as follows: (1) anti-HCV seroprevalence in Italy was 0.87% with a difference between Northern and Southern regions (0.68 vs. 1.37%) and between younger and older subjects (0.62 vs. 1.21%); (2) prevalence of elevated ALT levels was 4.74% without a North-South effect (except than for markedly elevated ALT levels); (3) anti-HCV seroprevalence was higher in subjects with elevated ALT (5.0%), with a North-South effect (2.2 vs. 9.9%) and particularly high (19.2%) in subjects with markedly elevated ALT; (4) ALT levels were elevated in 26.2% of anti-HCV positive subjects, with a North-South effect (14 vs. 40.5%).
authors.affiliation: Centro Trasfusionale e di Immunologia dei Trapianti, Ospedale Maggiore, Milano, Italia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sirchia
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Almini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellobuono
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Giovanetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marconi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercuriali
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mozzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parravicini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pizzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zanuso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies