Hepatitis C virus infection in Spanish volunteer blood donors: HCV RNA analysis and liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate in a large group of volunteer blood donors the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) and the relation of transaminase (ALT) levels and viraemia to liver damage.


METHODS
A prospective study.


METHODS
Transfusion Centre of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the Liver Unit of the Princesa University Hospital.


METHODS
From a population of 55,587 volunteer blood donors, 160 seropositive cases were further evaluated for virological and histological assessment.


METHODS
Anti-HCV was tested by ELISA-2 and RIBA-2 assays. HCV RNA was analysed by nested PCR. Liver biopsies were obtained in 35 volunteer blood donors with abnormal ALT levels.


RESULTS
The prevalence of anti-HCV detected by ELISA-2 was 0.93%. Serum ALT was abnormal in 61 of the 160 volunteers (38.1%). Of these, RIBA-2 was positive in 96.7% and HCV RNA was detectable in 96.1%. Serum ALT was normal in the remaining 99, 70.7% being RIBA-2 negative and 98.3% HCV RNA negative. The majority of biopsies (85.6%) showed chronic hepatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that in blood donors screening for anti-HCV, a positive ELISA-2 test, when associated with abnormal ALT levels, is effective in recognizing subjects with active infection detected by HCV RNA and liver disease. Concerning ELISA-2 positive volunteer blood donors with normal ALT, long-term studies are warranted to elucidate whether they are really infected by HCV.
Muñoz-Gómez
R
R
Liver Unit, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain.
García-Monzón
C
C
García-Buey
L
L
Lo Iacono
O
O
Borque
M J
MJ
Garía-Sánchez
A
A
Pajares
J M
JM
Moreno-Otero
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000821:virology
D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D000410:Alanine Transaminase