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Hepatitis C virus transmission, 1988-1991, via blood components from donors subsequently found to be anti-HCV-positive

Foberg, Ulla ; Ekermo, Bengt ; Widell, Anders LU ; Mathiesen, Ulrik and Fryden, Aril (1996) In Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 28(1). p.21-26
Abstract
The recipients of blood components, from the first 12 anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive donors identified by blood donor screening, 1985-1991, were traced retrospectively and tested to assess the HCV transmission rate, HCV genotypes and disease severity. Three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) positive but RIBA-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative donors did not transmit HCV to their 9 traced recipients. Nine RIBA- and HCV RNA-positive donors had donated blood to 27 now living recipients of whom 16/27 (59%) were viraemic 1-5 years later. Nine recipients had resolved infection, as determined by PCR HCV RNA. Five of these were RIBA-2 positive but HCV RNA-negative and 4 recipients were RIBA-2-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative. Two... (More)
The recipients of blood components, from the first 12 anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive donors identified by blood donor screening, 1985-1991, were traced retrospectively and tested to assess the HCV transmission rate, HCV genotypes and disease severity. Three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) positive but RIBA-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative donors did not transmit HCV to their 9 traced recipients. Nine RIBA- and HCV RNA-positive donors had donated blood to 27 now living recipients of whom 16/27 (59%) were viraemic 1-5 years later. Nine recipients had resolved infection, as determined by PCR HCV RNA. Five of these were RIBA-2 positive but HCV RNA-negative and 4 recipients were RIBA-2-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative. Two recipients negative in all tests had probably received blood before the donor became infected with HCV. The HCV genotype in each case was identical between the donor and the recipient. Of the viraemic recipients, 50% (8/16) were unsuitable for further investigation or therapy due to their high age and/or underlying severe disease. At most, only 30% (8/27) of the recipients were suitable for further investigation and/or treatment. Two of these were already diagnosed as being infected with HCV before being traced. It is concluded that the benefit of a general tracing of recipients of blood components from HCV-infected donors is doubtful since only a few of them are suitable candidates for treatment. Our results seem to indicate that it is more appropriate to recommend anti-HCV testing to those seeking medical care who have received transfusions or undergone major surgery before 1992, i.e. before anti-HCV-screening was initiated. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases
volume
28
issue
1
pages
21 - 26
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • pmid:9122627
  • scopus:0029964039
ISSN
1651-1980
DOI
10.3109/00365549609027144
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d4f64d0f-e5f5-4cba-94d4-26e351ae18cd (old id 1109976)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:48:42
date last changed
2022-01-28 07:16:50
@article{d4f64d0f-e5f5-4cba-94d4-26e351ae18cd,
  abstract     = {{The recipients of blood components, from the first 12 anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive donors identified by blood donor screening, 1985-1991, were traced retrospectively and tested to assess the HCV transmission rate, HCV genotypes and disease severity. Three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) positive but RIBA-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative donors did not transmit HCV to their 9 traced recipients. Nine RIBA- and HCV RNA-positive donors had donated blood to 27 now living recipients of whom 16/27 (59%) were viraemic 1-5 years later. Nine recipients had resolved infection, as determined by PCR HCV RNA. Five of these were RIBA-2 positive but HCV RNA-negative and 4 recipients were RIBA-2-indeterminate and HCV RNA-negative. Two recipients negative in all tests had probably received blood before the donor became infected with HCV. The HCV genotype in each case was identical between the donor and the recipient. Of the viraemic recipients, 50% (8/16) were unsuitable for further investigation or therapy due to their high age and/or underlying severe disease. At most, only 30% (8/27) of the recipients were suitable for further investigation and/or treatment. Two of these were already diagnosed as being infected with HCV before being traced. It is concluded that the benefit of a general tracing of recipients of blood components from HCV-infected donors is doubtful since only a few of them are suitable candidates for treatment. Our results seem to indicate that it is more appropriate to recommend anti-HCV testing to those seeking medical care who have received transfusions or undergone major surgery before 1992, i.e. before anti-HCV-screening was initiated.}},
  author       = {{Foberg, Ulla and Ekermo, Bengt and Widell, Anders and Mathiesen, Ulrik and Fryden, Aril}},
  issn         = {{1651-1980}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{21--26}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases}},
  title        = {{Hepatitis C virus transmission, 1988-1991, via blood components from donors subsequently found to be anti-HCV-positive}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00365549609027144}},
  doi          = {{10.3109/00365549609027144}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}