A study of Israeli blood donors, asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis C virus, in relation to liver disease, cryoglobulinemia and transmission.
In order to study the asymptomatic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive blood donors in Israel we analyzed their sera for HCV-RNA using the polymerase chain reaction technique. We found that 0.44% of blood donors were anti-HCV positive. Of those who had repeatedly positive anti-HCV, 82% had evidence of HCV-RNA. One-third of them had elevated liver enzymes, but no detectable cryoglobulins were found in their sera. Although HCV-RNA was detected in the majority of the patients, we were unable to demonstrate vertical or horizontal transmission among the family members of our carrier population.
Stern
M
M
Division of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Manny
N
N
Klein
A
A
Naparstek
Y
Y
Shraga
S
S
Tur-Kaspa
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D012367:RNA, Viral