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Hepatitis C viral markers in patients who received blood that was positive for hepatitis C virus core antibody, with genetic evidence of hepatitis C virus transmission
Author(s) -
Watanabe M.,
Ohkoshi S.,
Tawaraya H.,
Miyajima T.,
Shimotohno K.,
Kamimura T.,
Asakuar H.
Publication year - 1994
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.1537-2995.1994.34294143939.x
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis c virus , antibody , medicine , hepatitis c , hepatitis , hepatitis b virus , hepatitis b , viral disease , flaviviridae , virus , immunology
Background: Despite the use of the anti‐c100‐3 assay for blood donor screening, posttransfusion non‐A,non‐B hepatitis still occurred. A more sensitive assay should be developed to prevent this. Study Design and Methods: Stored serum specimens from 2020 healthy blood donors who were negative for c100‐3 antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) were retrospectively screened for the presence of antibodies against a core protein of HCV using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis as part of a study on posttransfusion non‐A,non‐B hepatitis. Results: Eight (0.4%) of the 2020 donors were positive for HCV core antibody. Posttransfusion non‐A,non‐B hepatitis occurred in 5 of five patients known to have received blood that was positive for HCV core antibody and 1 of 141 patients transfused with blood that was negative for HCV core antibody. The total incidence of posttransfusion non‐A,non‐B hepatitis was 4.1 percent (6/146). The nucleotide sequence of the nonstructural 5 region of the HCV genome obtained from two donors and corresponding recipients was also analyzed. The HCV genome sequences were identical for one donor‐recipient pair, and there was 99.4‐percent homology for a second pair. Conclusion: Anti‐core‐positive blood proved to be highly infectious for HCV, and this validated the use of the second‐generation anti‐HCV assay for blood donor screening.