Original article
English
Fiasal Ismail 1, Mohamed Kaled Shambesh 2, Ali Aboutwerat 3, Mohamed Elbackush 2
1-Department of Biological Sciences, Academy of Graduate Studies, 2-Department of Community and Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al Fateh University 3-National Organ Transplant Center, Tripoli, Libya.
Libyan J Infect Dis. 2010;4(1):24-30
Abstract
Background: There is a potential risk of infection with hepatitis B virus despite of the availability of a sensitive screening assay for detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). The prevention of residual risk of infection with hepatitis B post transfusion is mostly relied on serological screening of blood donors for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), to detect donors in window period of HBV infection. This has been improved further by detecting the viral DNA in samples that were positive for anti-HBc but negative for HBsAg. Many studies found that between 0 to 39% HBsAg negative and anti-HBc positive blood donors have HBV DNA vireamia and may be potential source of post-transfusion hepatitis B (PTHB).
Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the frequency of positive anti-HBc in blood donor population and evaluate whether anti-HBc could be adopted as a screening assay for blood donation.
Methods: Two hundred HBsAg negative blood samples were tested for anti-HBc by (ELISA, Microwell method). Anti-HBc-reactives samples were tested for anti-HBs by (Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay). All anti-HBc-reactives samples alone or in combination with anti-HBs were further tested by PCR for the presence of HBV-DNA.
Results: The prevalence of anti-HBc in this group was 31 samples (15.6 %). HBV-DNA was detected in 1 of 31 anti-HBc positive samples.
Conclusion: Anti-HBc antibody may be tested on regular basis for all blood donors, and if positive the blood should be discarded regardless of anti-HBs titer. Further testing for anti-HBs titer and HBV-DNA would be beneficial to follow up the blood donors with anti-HBc.
Keywords: Blood donors, hepatitis B, HBsAg, Anti-HBc antibodies, Screening.
Link/DOI: http://www.nidcc-jid.org.ly/pdf/v4no1/Serological_and_molecular_characterization_of_total_hepatitis_B_core_antibodies_in_blood.pdf