Viral Hepatitis Markers in Soviet and American Blood Donors

Abstract

A cooperative study was undertaken to compare the frequency of hepatitis viral antigens and antibodies among blood donors in the Soviet Union and the United States. Age‐ and sex‐stratified blood donors were identified and their sera tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti‐HBs), antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc), and antibody to the hepatitis A virus (anti‐HAV). A total of 994 Soviet blood donor sera from five different regions and 1,178 American donor sera from six different regions were tested in the USA. Among the Soviet donors, 450 (45%) had some marker of exposure to the hepatitis B virus; while among the American donors, 94 (8%) did. Of the Soviet donors 848 (85%) were positive for anti‐HAV, compared with 403 (34%) of the American donors. For 1,977 serum samples that were evaluated in both countries for HBsAg, techniques in the USSR identified 36 HBsAg‐positive samples, while the technique in the USA found 38 HBsAg‐positive samples; however, only 24 were judged to be HBsAg‐positive by assays in both countries. Testing of these same 1,977 sera for anti‐HBs revealed that the radioimmunoassay used in the USA identified many more antibody‐positive donors than the immuno‐autoradiography technique used in the Soviet Union. When a portion of the sera were tested by similar radioimmunoassay techniques in each country, there was comparability of results for anti‐HBs, as well as for anti‐HAV, and anti‐HBc. The results permit calculation of age and sex prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis A serologic markers for blood donors within and between each country. They also allow comparison, on the same sera, of test methodologies in use in the Soviet Union and in the United States.

Viral Hepatitis Markers in Thai Blood Donors

“…It is perhaps worth noting that only 5.6% of the 1,410 donors were HBsAg-positive by counterimmunoelectropheresis (CIEP). Our re sults confirm earlier reports [2,8], and fit well with the worldwide distribution of HBsAg [11], The tendency for HBsAg prev alence to decrease with increasing age is also in agreement with previous studies [3,10].…”

“…A similar increase has been observed in all populations thus far screened [3,10], The most plausible expla nation for these differences between age was found. Most donors had two or three HBV markers in their serum, but a few donors exist in whom only one HBV marker has been observed: 27 donors had only antiHBe in their serum, 45 donors had only antiHBs, 5 donors were observed who demon strated only HBeAg, and 1 donor's serum contained only anti-HBe.…”

“…Only 27 blood donors demonstrated anti-HBc alone (1.9%). This percentage is relatively high when compared to investigations in USA where only 0.7% of donors had anti-HBc alone but less if compared with the single anti-HBc frequency (7.6%) observed in So viet donors [3], Although testing for antiHBc IgM was not possible it seems very likely that most if not all specimens repre sent a remote infection.…”

Viral Hepatitis Markers in Thai Blood Donors

“…Only 27 blood donors demonstrated anti-HBc alone (1.9%). This percentage is relatively high when compared to investigations in USA where only 0.7% of donors had anti-HBc alone but less if compared with the single anti-HBc frequency (7.6%) observed in Soviet donors [3]. Although testing for anti-HBc IgM was not possible it seems very likely that most if not all specimens represent a remote infection.…”