title: Blood transfusion and hepatitis: still a threat?
abstract: The incidence of post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH) in recipients of blood products is reviewed. PTH was observed in 10%-12% of recipients of blood products in the United States, 2%-4% in northern Europe and 15%-20% in southern Europe. All studies indicate that 80%-90% of all PTH cases are attributed to non-A/non-B. At least 40% of the patients with PTH non-A/non-B will develop chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. No specific tests for the detection of the non-A/non-B agent(s) exist. However, several independent studies indicate that part of the donors carrying the infectious non-A/non-B agent have increased levels of alanine amino transferase (ALT). When donors are excluded with elevated ALT values, it is estimated that about 30% of the PTH non-A/non-B cases would be prevented. Some studies indicate that anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc) positive donors may carry an increased risk to transmit the non-A/non-B agent, but more recent studies do not confirm this. There is hope that a specific non-A/non-B test will be developed soon.
authors.affiliation: Amsterdam Red Cross Blood Bank, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Reesink
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: van der Poel
mesh_terms: D006505:Hepatitis / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction