Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T-cell responses among recombinant immunoblot assay-3-indeterminate blood donors: a confirmatory evidence of HCV exposure.
BACKGROUND
Blood donors are routinely screened for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Some show weak anti-HCV responses, often restricted to a single antigen on confirmatory immunoblot (recombinant immunoblot assay [RIBA]) testing. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which such RIBA-indeterminate donors had previously been exposed to HCV.


METHODS
T-cell responses to HCV recombinant proteins (core, NS3, and NS3 helicase) were analyzed using an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay and quantification of cytokines in culture supernatants in 27 RIBA-indeterminate donors, 60 RIBA-confirmed donors (48 with and 12 without HCV RNA), and 30 RIBA-negative donors.


RESULTS
HCV-specific T-cell responses were identified in 13 (48%) RIBA-indeterminate donors, 33 (55%) RIBA-confirmed donors, and 4 (13%) RIBA-negative controls (p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). The magnitude of the T-cell response among indeterminate donors was similar to that of RIBA-confirmed donors for all HCV antigens and the specificity of the ELISpot results was confirmed by antigen-specific cytokine production (interleukin-2 and IFN-gamma) in short-term culture supernatants.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings confirm that approximately half of RIBA-indeterminate donors have resolved a previous HCV infection and suggest that ELISpot might be a useful tool to clarify the status of such donors and help in their counseling and management.
Bes
Marta
M
Transfusion Safety Laboratory, Banc de Sang i Teixits de Catalunya, Passeig Vall d'Hebron 119-129, Barcelona, Spain.
Esteban
Juan Ignacio
JI
Casamitjana
Natàlia
N
Piron
Maria
M
Quer
Josep
J
Cubero
María
M
Puig
Lluís
L
Guardia
Jaime
J
Sauleda
Sílvia
S
D001782:Blood Donors; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012703:Serotyping; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D018936:Hepatitis C Antigens