Antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen in blood donors screened for alanine aminotransferase level and hepatitis non‐A, non‐B in recipients

ABSTRACT: Four‐hundred and seventeen patients undergoing open‐heart surgery were followed for more than 9 months after transfusion. All 2270 blood units transfused had alanine aminotransferase levels ≤ 30 U/l. Blood units positive for antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc) were more frequently associated with recipient hepatitis non‐A, non‐B (HNANB) (13.7%) than anti‐HBc‐negative units (4.2%) (p < 0.001). The frequency of HNANB among recipients of at least 1 anti‐HBc‐positive blood unit (8/79, 10.1%) was fivefold greater than among recipients of exclusively anti‐HBc‐negative blood units (7/338, 2.1%) (p < 0.01). In this study the exclusion of donors positive for anti‐HBc (4.2%) might have reduced the incidence of recipient HNANB by 42 percent. These results support the introduction of anti‐HBc donor screening to prevent recipient HNANB.

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