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Published on: July 16, 2012
[Hepatitis C virus (HCV) status in recipients transfused with blood from anti-HCV-positive donors]
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening identified infected blood donors, leading to 92% of recipients testing positive for HCV antibodies. Early liver damage was observed, prompting recommendations for follow-up and treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Public Health
Background:
- Blood donor screening for hepatitis C antibodies identified infected individuals.
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) poses a significant public health risk due to potential transmission through blood products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of HCV infection among blood recipients from antibody-positive donors.
- To evaluate the clinical outcomes, including liver enzyme levels and biopsy results, in HCV-infected recipients.
- To inform public health strategies for managing transfusion-transmitted HCV.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective follow-up of recipients who received blood products from anti-HCV positive donors.
- Serological testing (RIBA) and viral RNA detection (HCV-RNA) for HCV confirmation.
- Assessment of liver enzymes and liver biopsy results in affected patients.
Main Results:
- Of 26 recipients with available follow-up, 24 (92%) tested positive for HCV antibodies via RIBA.
- HCV-RNA was detected in 90% of infected donors and 68% of infected recipients.
- HCV-RNA positive individuals frequently exhibited abnormal liver enzymes (76%) and abnormal liver biopsies (8/11).
Conclusions:
- Transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C can lead to significant liver damage within a few years.
- Proactive follow-up and treatment for individuals transfused with HCV-positive donations are crucial.
- The National Board of Health recommends a strategy for identifying and treating at-risk populations.
Abstract:
Ten donors positive for antibodies to hepatitis C were discovered in the community of Aarhus after the introduction of screening of blood donors. These donors had donated blood products to 123 recipients. Of these recipients 76 were dead and 21 were not contacted for various reasons. Follow-up of anti-HCV status was performed in the remaining 26 recipients. Twenty-four (92%) of the recipients were positive in the RIBA confirmatory test, one was inconclusive and one was negative. Nine (90%) of the donors were hepatitis C virus RNA positive, while 17 (68%) of the recipients were HCV-RNA positive. Altogether (donors and recipients) 25 (76%) of the HCV-RNA positive patients had abnormal liver enzymes, while all HCV-RNA negative patients had normal enzyme levels. Eight of eleven HCV-RNA positive patients had an abnormal liver biopsy, while one patient in the HCV-RNA negative group had an abnormal liver biopsy. Three have been treated with interferon. In view of the liver damage already found only few years after transfusion, follow-up investigations in order to identify younger persons transfused with hepatitis C positive donations should be carried out and patients offered treatment if necessary. The National Board of Health has decided to recommend this strategy.
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