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.
Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., & Abd El-Hamid, A. E. (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
MLA
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
HARVARD
Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A. E. (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
VANCOUVER
Mahmoud, N., Abdalla, S., Abd El-Hamid, A. E. 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
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