Evaluation of a confidential method of excluding blood donors exposed to human immunodeficiency virus: studies on hepatitis and cytomegalovirus markers

A confidential self‐administered questionnaire was given to all blood donors prior to donation (n = 95,917). The questionnaire describes groups at increased risk of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and requires the donor to designate his blood either for laboratory purposes or for transfusion. In a previous communication, we reported that donors in the former group had a much higher prevalence of antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than age, sex and clinic matched controls or a group of “miscellaneous” donors who did not fill out the form properly. In this communication, we report results of tests for other viral markers performed on the three designation groups, namely laboratory‐designated, miscellaneous and controls. We found that the former two groups had a higher prevalence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs), hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐ HBc) and cytomegalovirus (anti‐CMV) than controls, but there were no differences in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels among the groups. In addition, the laboratory‐designated group had a higher prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) than the general donor population. These data indicate that a questionnaire designed to ascertain AIDS high‐risk donors is valuable in excluding donors who may be carriers of other viruses as well.