Hepatitis C virus transmission by intravenous immunoglobulin.
The polymerase chain reaction was used to detect hepatitis C virus infection in patients who had previously been reported to have developed non-A, non-B hepatitis after intravenous immunoglobulin infusion. Of the 33 patients with intravenous immunoglobulin associated non-A, non-B hepatitis studied, HCV RNA could be detected in 15 out of 17 patients (88%) who were HCV RNA negative prior to the development of non-A, non-B hepatitis after implicated intravenous immunoglobulin batches. Similarly, eight out of nine patients (89%) in whom no sample was available for polymerase chain reaction testing prior to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, had detectable HCV RNA after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin batches implicated in non-A, non-B hepatitis transmission. Two of the three intravenous immunoglobulin preparations implicated in non-A, non-B hepatitis transmissions that were available for polymerase chain reaction testing also had detectable HCV RNA, confirming that hepatitis C virus is the implicated virus in intravenous immunoglobulin-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Edinburgh & South East Scotland Blood Transfusion Service, UK.
P L
PL
Yap
F
F
McOmish
A D
AD
Webster
L
L
Hammarstrom
C I
CI
Smith
J
J
Bjorkander
H D
HD
Ochs
S H
SH
Fischer
I
I
Quinti
P
P
Simmonds
D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D015994:Incidence; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D012367:RNA, Viral