title: Hepatitis C virus RNA and antibodies among blood donors in Beijing.
abstract: Blood units from voluntary as well as commercial donors in Beijing, China, were tested for hepatitis C virus RNA and antibodies, and for serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection. HCV RNA was detected less frequently in 1909 voluntary donors (5 (0.3%)), than in 1017 commercial donors (58 (5.7%)) (p < 0.001). Antibody to hepatitis C virus was detected by the second-generation enzyme immunoassay in 55 (87%) of 63 blood units with viremia. Evidence of present or past infection with hepatitis B virus was common both in voluntary (43.9%) and commercial (46.4%) donors. There were eight (13%) sera with HCV-RNA in which hepatitis C virus antibodies were not detectable by second-generation enzyme immunoassay. Of 63 HCV-RNA samples from donors, 33 (52%) were of genotype II, 18 (29%) of III and one (2%) of II + III. HCV-RNA in the remaining 11 (17%) were not classifiable into any of the genotypes I, II, III, IV and V. Genotype II was more frequent in viremic donors with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels (13/18 or 72%) than in those with normal levels (20/45 or 44%). These results indicate a low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the general population in Beijing, and the limitations of identifying sera with viremia by second-generation enzyme immunoassay.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hepatology, Beijing Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tokita
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral