Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies in Blood Donors from the Province of Latina, Italy

• Published in: European journal of epidemiology Vol. 18; no. 7; pp. 691 - 694
• Main Authors: La Torre, G., De Vito, E., Langiano, E., Petta, P., Colarossi, G., Cipriani, L., Tucciarone, M., Ricciardi, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-01-2003; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Antibodies; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood donation; Blood Donors - statistics & numerical data; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Cohort Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidemiology; Female; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis; Hepatitis C - blood; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - immunology; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; Humans; Incidence; Infections; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Mass Screening - methods; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Poisson Distribution; Population Surveillance; Predisposing factors; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk; Risk Factors; Screening tests; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Sex Distribution; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tissue donation; Transfusion; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Viruses; Italy; Europe; Human; Hepatic disease; Epidemiology; Blood donors; Incidence; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Blood donation; Digestive diseases; Italy; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C; Hepacivirus; Public health; Blood donor; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0393-2990; 1573-7284
• DOI: 10.1023/a:1024817417635

In order to calculate the incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in blood donors and to verify the efficacy of the pre-donation method (testing blood samples of potential donors at least 3 months in advance of their first donation), we performed a retrospective cohort study in 1995 and in the period 1996-2000 at the blood transfusion unit in Latina (Italy). Third generation ELISA method as well as RIBA-3 were used. 5,978 donors in 1995 and 20,741 in the 1996-2000 period were analysed. The age of donors (prevalently male, 78.5%) was between 18 and 65 (median 38). A total of 110 borderline and 62 positives were found with ELISA, of which 75 borderlines and 42 positives in 1995, and the remaining in the 1996-2000 period (p > 0.5). Percentage of HCV antibodies dropped from 8.5% in 1995 to 5.45% in the 1996-2000 period. The non reactivity and undetermined status were found in 82.1 and 9.4% respectively in 1995, and 69.1 and 25.45% respectively in the 1996-2000 period. The incidence of HCV antibodies was 167.28 cases per 100,000 person-years in 1995 and 4.13 per 100,000 person-years in the 1996-2000 period, 2.5 times lower than the national one. There was a statistically significant association between dental care and RIBA positivity (RR: 2.63; p = 0.045). This study, moreover, evidences how predonation practices, if extended to a national basis, may be able to nullify the dangers associated with post-transfusional hepatitis and to reduce the number of false positives and of blood packs donated but either unused or destroyed.