Detection of free hepatitis C virus core antigen by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is not suitable for screening of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized hematopoietic progenitor donors.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have shown that hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients who are negative for the presence of anti-HCV and serum HCV RNA. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of HCV viremia in granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) donors by the use of a free HCV core antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


METHODS
A total of 28 samples from consecutive PBPC donors that were mobilized with G-CSF, and 13 samples from patients presenting with leukocytosis of greater than 20 x 10(9) per L from other causes, were tested by a free HCV core antigen ELISA. Positive samples were confirmed by use of neutralization assays. The specificity of the assay was studied in 48,911 healthy blood donors negative for the presence of anti-HCV.


RESULTS
The free HCV core antigen assay showed a 46.4 percent positivity in PBPC donors mobilized with G-CSF and 61.5 percent in patients exhibiting leukocytosis in the absence of G-CSF treatment. All the samples were found to be false-positive samples, and those related with growth factor treatment did not react when G-CSF was discontinued. Overall specificity by the test in freshly collected blood donor specimens was 99.62 percent.


CONCLUSIONS
Data indicate that the free HCV core antigen ELISA is not a valid test in diagnosing HCV infection in G-CSF-treated PBPC donors. Moreover, false-positive results of this test on blood donors might be indicative of elevated white blood cell numbers. The low specificity of this assay in the PBPC mobilization setting suggests that molecular assays should be the test of choice in the screening of G-CSF-treated donors.
Lozano
María L
ML
Unit of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Regional Center of Blood Donation, Ronda de Garay s/n, 30003 Murcia, Spain. mllozano@um.es
Candela
María J
MJ
Cano
Horacio
H
Zuazu
Isabel
I
Vicente
Vicente
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001782:Blood Donors; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D014766:Viremia / Q000175:diagnosis*
D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor