Significant background rates of HBV and HCV infections in patients and risks of blood transfusion from donors with low anti-HBc titres or high anti-HBc titres with high anti-HBs titres in Japan: a prospective, individual NAT study of transfusion-transmitted HBV, HCV and HIV infections.

Background The Japanese Red Cross (JRC) conducted a prospective study to evaluate the frequency of transfusion-transmitted HBV, HCV and HIV infections to assess the risk of transfusion of blood components routinely supplied to hospitals. Study Design and Methods Post-transfusion specimens from patients at eight medical institutes were examined for evidence of infection with HBV (2139 cases), HCV (2091) and HIV (2040) using individual nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT). If these specimens were reactive, pre-transfusion specimens were also examined for the virus concerned by individual NAT. In the event that the pre-transfusion specimen was non-reactive, then all repository specimens from implicated donors were tested for the viruses by individual donation NAT. In addition, a further study was carried out to evaluate the risk of transfusion of components from donors with low anti-HBc titres or high anti-HBc with high anti-HBs titres. Results Transfusion-transmitted HCV and HIV infections were not observed. One case of post-transfusion HBV infection was identified (rate, 0 0004675; 95% CI for the risk of transmission, 1 in 451-41 841). The background rates of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in patients prior to transfusion were 3 4% (72 / 2139), 7 2% (150 / 2091) and 0% (0 / 2040), respectively. Sixty-four anti-HBc-and / or antiHBs- reactive blood components were transfused to 52 patients non-reactive for anti-HBc or anti-HBs before and after transfusion (rate, 0; 95% CI for the risk of transmission, < 1 in 22). Conclusion This study demonstrated that the current criteria employed by JRC have a low risk, but the background rates of HBV and HCV infections in Japanese patients are significant.