Prevalence and trends of markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human Immunodeficiency virus in Argentine blood donors

• Autores: Flichman, Diego Martin; Blejer, Jorgelina L.; Livellara, Beatriz I.; Ré, Viviana Elizabeth; Bartoli, Sonia; Bustos, Juan A.; Ansola, Claudia P.; Hidalgo, Susana; Cerda, Martín E.; Levin, Alicia E.; Huenul, Adriana; Riboldi, Victoria; Treviño, Elena M. C.; Salamone, Horacio J.; Nuñez, Felix A.; Fernández, Robert J.; Reybaud, Juan F.; Campos, Rodolfo Hector
• Año de publicación: 2014
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Prevalence; Trend; Blood donors; HIV; HBV; HCV
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

BACKGROUND: Transfusion-transmitted infections are a major problem associated with blood transfusion. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence and trends of HBV, HCV and HIV in blood donors in Argentina. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out in blood donors of 27 transfusion centers covering the whole country over a period of eight years (2004-2011). Serologic screening assays for HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HCV, and anti-HIV were performed in all centers and nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) was performed in 2 out of the 27 centers. RESULTS: The 2,595,852 samples tested nationwide from 2004 to 2011 showed that the prevalence of HBsAg decreased from 0.336% to 0.198% (p < 0.0001), that of anti-HBc from 2.391% to 2.007% (p < 0.0001), that of anti-HCV from 0.721% to 0.460%, (p < 0.0001) and that of anti-HIV from 0.208% to 0.200 (p = 0.075). The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV was unevenly distributed among the different regions of the country. Two out of 74,838 screening- negative samples were positive in NAT assays (1 HIV-RNA and 1 HCV-RNA); moreover, HBV-DNA, HCV-RNA and HIV-RNA were detected in 60.29, 24.54 and 66.67% of screening-positive samples of the corresponding assays. As regards donors age, positive HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA donors were significantly older than healthy donors (46.6, 50.5 and 39.5 y respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Argentina has a low prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV in blood donors, with a decreasing trend for HBsAg, anti-HBc and anti-HCV but not for anti-HIV over the last 8 years. The uneven distribution of transfusion-transmitted infections prevalence among the different regions of the country highlights the need to implement regional awareness campaigns and prevention. The discrepancy between samples testing positive for screening assays and negative for NAT assays highlights the problem of blood donors who test repeatedly reactive in screening assays but are not confirmed as positive upon further testing. The uneven distribution of age between healthy donors and NAT-positive donors could be related to changes in risks of these pathogens in the general population and might be attributed to a longer exposure to transmission risk factors in elderly people.
Fil: Flichman, Diego Martin. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Blejer, Jorgelina L.. Fundación Hemocentro; Argentina
Fil: Livellara, Beatriz I.. Hospital Italiano; Argentina
Fil: Ré, Viviana Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Bartoli, Sonia. Centro regional de Hemoterapia Jujuy; Argentina
Fil: Bustos, Juan A.. Banco de sangre San Jorge; Argentina
Fil: Ansola, Claudia P.. Provincia de Mendoza. Servicio de Hemoterapia; Argentina
Fil: Hidalgo, Susana. Hospital Dr. Enrique Vera Barros; Argentina
Fil: Cerda, Martín E.. Hospital Dr. Lucio Molas; Argentina
Fil: Levin, Alicia E.. Provincia de Mendoza. Servicio de Hemoterapia; Argentina
Fil: Huenul, Adriana. Hospital Artémides Zatti; Argentina
Fil: Riboldi, Victoria. Hospital Regional Río Gallegos; Argentina
Fil: Treviño, Elena M. C.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
Fil: Salamone, Horacio J.. Fundación Favaloro; Argentina
Fil: Nuñez, Felix A.. Hospital Italiano; Argentina
Fil: Fernández, Robert J.. Fundación Hemocentro; Argentina
Fil: Reybaud, Juan F.. Fundación Favaloro; Argentina
Fil: Campos, Rodolfo Hector. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina