Hepatitis B core antigen antibody as an indicator of a low grade carrier state for hepatitis B virus in a Saudi Arabian blood donor population
| Autor: | M.C. Kuhns, V. Andrews, A.L. McNamara, S.S. Bernvil |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1997 |
| Předmět: |
Male
HBsAg Hepatitis B virus Immunology Population Saudi Arabia Blood Donors medicine.disease_cause Antibodies Viral Antigen parasitic diseases medicine Humans Mass Screening education Mass screening Hepatitis education.field_of_study biology business.industry virus diseases Transfusion Reaction Hematology Hepatitis B medicine.disease Virology Hepatitis B Core Antigens digestive system diseases biology.protein Antibody business |
| Zdroj: | Transfusion science. 18(1) |
| ISSN: | 0955-3886 |
| Popis: | Blood donor screening for anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was introduced as a surrogate marker of non-A, non-B hepatitis prior to the availability of a specific test for hepatitis C. In areas endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV), such as Saudi Arabia, earlier studies indicated that up to 30% of blood donors might disqualify if screened for anti-HBc. The issue was readdressed in a study of 6035 consecutive first-time Saudi national blood donors in an attempt to identify a subgroup of anti-HBc positive donors who might be at high risk of being low grade carriers of HBV. An isolated anti-HBc of high titer in a donor with a low or absent anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBsAg) was taken as an indicator of increased risk of a low grade carrier state. Using this algorithm, an additional 125 (2%) donors would disqualify. HBsAg immune complex assays and polymerase chain reaction of donor samples with an isolated anti-HBc identified two donors with immune complexes and two donors with HBV DNA. All four donor samples expressed over 90% neutralization in the anti-HBc supplementary testing, indicating high titer anti-HBc. These findings seem to support the suggested policy of donor exclusion based on the anti-HBc and anti-HBsAg serology as a means to eliminate low grade carriers of HBV in endemic areas without jeopardizing the blood supply. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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