title: Prevalence and trends of markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human Immunodeficiency virus in Argentine blood donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transfusion-transmitted infections are a major problem associated with blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and trends of HBV, HCV and HIV in blood donors in Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was carried out in blood donors of 27 transfusion centers covering the whole country over a period of eight years (2004-2011). Serologic screening assays for HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV were performed in all centers and nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) was performed in 2 out of the 27 centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 2,595,852 samples tested nationwide from 2004 to 2011 showed that the prevalence of HBsAg decreased from 0.336% to 0.198% (p < 0.0001), that of anti-HBc from 2.391% to 2.007% (p < 0.0001), that of anti-HCV from 0.721% to 0.460%, (p < 0.0001) and that of anti-HIV from 0.208% to 0.200 (p = 0.075). The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV was unevenly distributed among the different regions of the country. Two out of 74,838 screening- negative samples were positive in NAT assays (1 HIV-RNA and 1 HCV-RNA); moreover, HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA and HIV-RNA were detected in 60.29, 24.54 and 66.67% of screening-positive samples of the corresponding assays. As regards donors age, positive HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA donors were significantly older than healthy donors (46.6, 50.5 and 39.5 y respectively, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Argentina has a low prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV in blood donors, with a decreasing trend for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV but not for anti-HIV over the last 8 years. The uneven distribution of transfusion-transmitted infections prevalence among the different regions of the country highlights the need to implement regional awareness campaigns and prevention. The discrepancy between samples testing positive for screening assays and negative for NAT assays highlights the problem of blood donors who test repeatedly reactive in screening assays but are not confirmed as positive upon further testing. The uneven distribution of age between healthy donors and NAT-positive donors could be related to changes in risks of these pathogens in the general population and might be attributed to a longer exposure to transmission risk factors in elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra de Virología, Buenos Aires, Argentina. dflichman@ffyb.uba.ar.
authors.forename: Diego M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Flichman
authors.forename: Jorgelina L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Blejer
authors.forename: Beatriz I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Livellara
authors.forename: Viviana E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Re
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bustos
authors.forename: Claudia P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ansola
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cerda
authors.forename: Alicia E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huenul
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riboldi
authors.forename: Elena M C
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.forename: Horacio J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Salamone
authors.forename: Felix A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Nuñez
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Reybaud
authors.forename: Rodolfo H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
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