title: Posttransfusion hepatitis B transmitted by blood from a hepatitis B surface antigen-negative hepatitis B virus carrier.
abstract: A female blood donor at our institution was implicated in three cases of clinical posttransfusion hepatitis B. She had given blood 25 times in 8 years. Twenty-seven recipients were followed up, and about one-half of those who were still living had serologic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The donor was repeatedly negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody, but she had high titers of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. We conclude that blood from this HBsAg-negative blood donor was capable of transmitting hepatitis B.
authors.affiliation: Blood Bank, Ullevaal Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hetland
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skaug
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State / Q000635:transmission*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens