Frozen blood and transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus.
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of frozen red cell transfusion on the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) before the introduction of blood donor screening. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 59 patients with sickle-cell disease who required chronic transfusions and had exclusively received frozen red blood cells (RBC). The files were reviewed for clinical signs of chronic hepatitis C. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 2 adult patients; both also had clinical evidence of HCV infection. No other patient showed signs of acute or chronic HCV hepatitis. In a control group of 28 patients who had received nonfrozen RBC transfusions, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 25%. So, our study seems to indicate that the use of frozen RBC had reduced the risk of HCV contamination.
Norol
F
F
Centre Départemental de Transfusion Sanguine du Val de Marne, Créteil, France.
Bachir
D
D
Bernaudin
F
F
Beaujean
F
F
Desforges
L
L
Duedari
N
N
Galacteros
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016913:Blood Component Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001793:Blood Preservation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000635:transmission*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies