Etiological investigation of acute post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis in China.
The etiology of acute post-transfusion hepatitis (PTH) non-A, non-B (NANB) in China was investigated with the combination of advanced techniques, including a second generation of enzyme immunoassay for detection of the antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), a reverse transcription and nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nPCR) for HCV RNA, and a PCR for hepatitis B virus DNA. Of the 57 patients who were diagnosed as acute PTH-NANB, 46 (80.7%) were positive for anti-HCV and 41 (71.9%) had HCV RNA. Combining together, 53 (93.0%) were seropositive for anti-HCV and/or HCV RNA. Surprisingly, 18 of these with HCV markers were also positive for HBV DNA, although they were negative for HBsAg, suggesting that a portion of the patients with acute PTH NANB were coinfected by both HCV and HBV. In addition, 4 (7%) of the patients with acute PTH-NANB had no detectable HCV and HBV markers with the use of the above-mentioned techniques. These results indicate that etiologic agents(s) other than HCV and HBV may also cause acute PTH-NANB or that the current techniques may still not be sensitive enough to detect trace levels of HCV and HBV markers.
Luo
K X
KX
Division of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, First Medical College of PLA, Guangzhou, China.
Liang
Z S
ZS
Yang
S C
SC
Zhou
R
R
Meng
Q H
QH
Zhu
Y W
YW
He
H T
HT
Jiang
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral