Effect of hepatitis C antibody screening in blood donors on post-transfusion hepatitis in Taiwan |
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Authors: | JIN-TOWN WANG TEH-HONG WANG JAW-TOWN LIN CHA-ZE LEE JIN-CHUAN SHEU DING-SHINN CHEN |
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Affiliation: | *Departments of Bacteriology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan;†Departments of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan |
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Abstract: | A national screening programme for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in blood donors in Taiwan began in July 1992 using a second-generation immunoassay. To study the impact of this screening on post-transfusion hepatitis in Taiwan, a prospective study on post-transfusion hepatitis, that was started in 1987, was continued. As of June 1994, 245 patients who received a blood transfusion after July 1992 had completed a follow-up period for more than 6 months post-transfusion. Of them, seven (2.8%) recipients developed acute post-transfusion hepatitis. The hepatitis in six cases could not be attributed to infection by hepatitis A, B, C, D, E viruses or cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The remaining patient seroconverted to both IgG and IgM anti-CMV. All seven patients recovered in 6 months without development of chronicity, and the mean peak alanine aminotransferase level was lower compared with that of the cases before anti-HCV screening (i.e. pre-July 1992). These results indicate that the current anti-HCV screening has effectively interrupted HCV transmission through blood transfusion in Taiwan. |
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Keywords: | anti-HCV blood donor hepatitis C virus |
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