Hepatitis B virus DNA in blood donors with anti-HBc as a possible indicator of active hepatitis B virus infection in Yucatan, Mexico.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be present in serum even when negative for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). If routine screening of sera for anti-HBV core antigen (anti-HBc) is not done, low-level HBV viraemia may not be identified. A study was done on the presence of HBV DNA in serum samples from Mexican blood donors negative for HBsAg. Sera from 158 volunteer blood donors, negative for HBsAg and anti-HBs, but positive for anti-HBc, were analysed using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HBV DNA was detected in sera from 13 (8.23%) of the 158. Specificity of the PCR-amplified products was corroborated using Southern blot. Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis showed identical SSCP-banding patterns for all 13 PCR products, suggesting similar cDNA sequences. Occult HBV infection was observed in approximately 8% of anti-HBc only donors. The absence of HBsAg in the blood of apparently healthy individuals may not be sufficient to ensure lack of circulating HBV, and blood containing anti-HBc only may be infectious until proven otherwise.
García-Montalvo
B M
BM
Banco Central de Sangre, Centro Médico Nacional 'Lic. Ignacio García Tellez', Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Merida, Yucatán, Mexico. bgarciam04@yahoo.com.mx
Farfán-Ale
J A
JA
Acosta-Viana
K Y
KY
Puerto-Manzano
F I
FI
D001782:Blood Donors; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens