[HIV and blood donors: past, present and future]

To evaluate the changes in the spectrum of HIV-positive blood donors along seven years.

The municipal Blood Bank of Caracas Federal District examined 193,796 blood donors between 1986 and 1992. Anti-HIV antibodies were determined by the following methods: Ortho HIV-Elisa Test System (59.5% of the samples), Abbott Recombinant HIV-EIA (28.6%), Vironostika HIV Microelisa System-Organon Teknika (2.1%), Bio-Test anti-HIV Recombinant Elisa (2.1%), and Recombigen (env and gag) HIV Cambridge Biotech (7.7%). Results confirmation was performed with Biotech/Dupont HIV-I Western Blot Kit, Chiron Riba HIV 216 Test System and Inno-Lia HIV 1/2 Ab immunogenetics SA.

Slow but progressive increase of positive results was seen in the blood donors along the years, from 0.05% in 1986 to 0.31% in 1992. Higher prevalence was seen in males (p < 0.001), although absolute increase in the number of positive females was found by 1992 (p < 0.05). According to their type, 80.6% of the donors were patient-related (RD), 13% attended mobile blood-drawing units (MU) and 6.4% were VD (p < 0.001), with a trend to increase amongst DR and decrease amongst MV. The majority of the positive donors pertained to homo-or bisexuals (60.5%), although they showed progressive decrease, whereas the positive findings increased in the promiscuous heterosexual group and amongst those having contacts with persons at risk.

High prevalence of HIV-positive donors is found, the expected figure for 1995 being 0.37% if the present trends are maintained. Thus, a better selection of blood donors is recommended by means of careful enquiries, the use of optimal reagents capable of shortening the window period, deferring people at risk from blood donation, and promoting altruistic voluntary donation of blood.