title: Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in relation to surrogate markers in a blood donor population of Singapore.
abstract: Prevalence of antibodies to HCV is studied among a blood donor population in Singapore and its relationship to surrogate markers was examined. Sequential serum samples from 4,091 blood donors were tested for the presence of anti-HCV using the second generation immunoassay (Abbott). 275 random serum samples were tested for anti-HBc and ALT. All the samples positive for anti-HCV were also tested for anti-HBc and ALT. Only 22 of the 4,091 donor samples (0.54%) were repeatedly reactive for anti-HCV. Of the 275 random samples tested, 43 samples (15.6%) were positive for anti-HBc and 24 (8.7%) had ALT levels more than 45 IU/l. None of these 67 samples were positive for anti-HCV. Only 3 of the 22 anti-HCV positive samples (13.6%) were positive for anti-HBc and only 6 samples (27.2%) had ALT level more than 45 IU/l. The prevalence of anti-HCV among the donors is only 0.54% which is much lower than the prevalence of HBV. An important finding is that about 60% of the donors positive for anti-HCV had no detectable surrogate markers. Exclusion of blood donors positive for anti-HBc, if implemented in an area where the prevalence of HBV infection is relatively high will result in the loss of blood donors estimated to be 15.6% and the use of raised ALT will result in a further loss of 6.1% of the blood donors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuperan
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Choon
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies