HIV antibody screening of corneal donors

Because of the risk of transmitting the acquired immune deficiency syndrome through corneal transplantation, health officials have recommended donor screening. We prospectively studied the seropositivity rate for human immunodeficiency virus infection among ocular tissue donors at our eye bank during 1986. Of 1,517 corneal donors, 5 (0.3%) were repeatedly reactive by enzyme immunoassay. For comparison, 131 (0.06%) of 206,415 blood donors in Houston were similarly seropositive during this same 1-year period. Routine serological testing can be successfully implemented by eye banking personnel to potentially reduce the risk of viral transmission by keratoplasty.