Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A. (2010). The Effect of Anti-HBc Detection in Egyptian Blood Donors Negative for HBsAg in Reducing the Risk of Transfusion Associated HBV Infection. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 13(1), 11-14. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2010.69828
Nora F. Mahmoud; Salah M. Abdalla; Alaa El-Din S. Abd El-Hamid. "The Effect of Anti-HBc Detection in Egyptian Blood Donors Negative for HBsAg in Reducing the Risk of Transfusion Associated HBV Infection". Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 13, 1, 2010, 11-14. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2010.69828
Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A. (2010). 'The Effect of Anti-HBc Detection in Egyptian Blood Donors Negative for HBsAg in Reducing the Risk of Transfusion Associated HBV Infection', Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 13(1), pp. 11-14. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2010.69828
Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A. The Effect of Anti-HBc Detection in Egyptian Blood Donors Negative for HBsAg in Reducing the Risk of Transfusion Associated HBV Infection. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 2010; 13(1): 11-14. doi: 10.21608/scumj.2010.69828
The Effect of Anti-HBc Detection in Egyptian Blood Donors Negative for HBsAg in Reducing the Risk of Transfusion Associated HBV Infection
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Suez Canal University
2Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University
Abstract
Background: in spite of teh progress in teh prevention of transfusion transmitted infections over the last few years, transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection through transfusion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative blood has been documented.
Objective: to study the seroprevalence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) in healthy blood donors negative for HBsAg and to evaluate whether anti-HBc detection could be adopted in Egypt as a screening assay for HBV in addition to HBsAg.
Methods: in a cross sectional study, a total of 3043 blood donors were screened in 2009 for teh following viral markers; hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and human immunodeficiency virus I/II (anti-HIV I/II). Nine hundred and four samples negative for HBsAg (323 samples with elevated ALT level and 581 with normal ALT level) were tested for the presence of anti-HBc.
Results: one hundred and sixty two samples (17.92%) were reactive for anti-HBc. The present study showed 20.12* and 16.7% anti-HBc positivity for samples with elevated and noraml ALT level respectively.
Conclusion: anti-HBc should be tested routinely in blood donor volunteers. Rejection of anti-HBc positive units will be beneficial in decreasing the risk of HBV transmission with its potential consequences.