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Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis B Surface Antigen in Human Albumin Products
Author(s) -
Hoofnagle J. H.,
Barker L. F.,
Thiel J.,
Gerety R. J.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1976.16276155108.x
Subject(s) - hbsag , radioimmunoassay , medicine , albumin , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , serology , antibody , hepatitis , antigen , virology , immunology , virus
A collection of 1,985 lots of normal serum albumin (NSA) and 1,361 lots of plasma protein fraction (PPF) prepared between 1958 and 1974 were tested for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HB s Ag). Twenty‐one per cent of NSA lots and 71 per cent of PPF lots were HB s Ag‐positive by radioimmunoassay. There was considerable variation in frequency of HB s Ag‐positive lots among the 17 different manufacturers of NSA and the six manufacturers of PPF. In general, those lots prepared from volunteer donor plasma and placental material demonstrated lower rates of HB s Ag‐positivity than those prepared from commercial donor plasma. A striking decrease in the prevalence of HB s Ag‐positive lots of both NSA and PPF occurred during the period 1971 to 1973, coincident with the onset of routine screening of all plasma for HB s Ag. Although NSA and PPF can be HB s Ag‐positive, they probably do not transmit type B hepatitis. Serologic tests for HB s Ag and antibody to HB s Ag revealed that albumin products prepared from infectious, icterogenic plasma were infectious prior to pasteurization, but that they no longer transmitted type B hepatitis after heat treatment at 60 C for ten hours.