A pilot study of surrogate tests to prevent transmission of acquired immune deficiency syndrome by transfusion

Because of reports that acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) might be transmissible by blood transfusion, we studied potential surrogate tests that could be used for screening donors. Male donors at one volunteer blood center and two plasma centers were screened for total lymphocyte count, OKT3, OKT4, OKT8, OKT11, LEU-7, LEU-M2, antibodies to hepatitis B core (anti-HBc), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes and circulating immune complexes. Total lymphocyte counts and the OKT11 were significantly lower in one plasma center. No significant differences were found for the other lymphocyte or monocyte tests. Low T4/T8 ratios, found in 20 percent of donors, did not correlate with other abnormalities. A small percentage (3.3%) of volunteer donors, 15.4 percent at one plasma center and 20.8 percent at a second plasma center, and 38.5 percent of the male homosexual donors were positive for anti-HBc (significant when comparing the male homosexuals to the volunteers at p = 0.032). Positive CMV and herpes titers were similar in the groups. Circulating immune complex levels greater than two standard deviations above the mean were found in 20 percent of the volunteer donors, 7.7 percent at one plasma center and 8.3 percent at the second plasma center, and none in the male homosexual population. Pearson product moment correlations showed reasonably good agreement among the lymphocyte tests. However, the anti-HBc, CMV, and herpes antibodies and circulating immune complex levels did not correlate with any of the other tests. Surrogate tests for AIDS are nonspecific and unlikely to be helpful in screening blood donor units.