title: Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody in a cohort of hemophilia patients.
abstract: One hundred thirty-one patients followed at the New England Hemophilia Center (Worcester, MA) were tested for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV). All but two had used factor concentrate that had not undergone viral inactivation; two patients had used only cryoprecipitate. The overall prevalence of HCV antibody positivity was 76.3%. There was no significant difference in age or the amount of non-heat-treated factor concentrate used between the group that was HCV antibody positive and negative. There was also no significant difference between aminotransferase levels in the two groups. There was a positive association between HCV antibody and the presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen and antibody to human immunodeficiency virus. A group of 31 patients were tested twice for HCV antibody at intervals of 35 to 71 months. In this subset, 25 were repeatedly seropositive, 4 were repeatedly seronegative, and 2 went from seropositive to seronegative. These data confirm the previous impression that non-A, non-B hepatitis is a major sequela to the use of pooled coagulation factor concentrates. HCV infection may account for most of the chronic liver disease observed in this population. Anti-HCV testing of plasma donors and improved methods of viral inactivation should prevent new cases from developing.
authors.affiliation: Medical Center of Central Massachusetts-Memorial, Worcester 01605.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Brettler
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dienstag
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000276:immunology; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies