Journal article
International review of blood donation screening for anti-HBc and occult hepatitis B virus infection
Transfusion, Vol.64(11), pp.2144-2156
2024
PMID: 39359112
Abstract
Background
Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) screening has been implemented in many blood establishments to help prevent transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV), including from donors with occult HBV infection (OBI). We review HBV screening algorithms across blood establishments globally and their potential effectiveness in reducing transmission risk.
Materials and Methods
A questionnaire on HBV screening and follow-up strategies was distributed to members of the International Society of Blood Transfusion working party on transfusion-transmitted infectious diseases. Screening data from 2022 were assimilated and analyzed.
Results
A total of 30 unique responses were received from 25 countries. Sixteen respondents screened all donations for anti-HBc, with 14 also screening all donations for HBV DNA. Anti-HBc prevalence was 0.42% in all blood donors and 1.19% in new donors in low-endemic countries; however, only 44% of respondents performed additional anti-HBc testing to exclude false reactivity. 0.68% of anti-HBc positive, HBsAg-negative donors had detectable HBV DNA. Ten respondents did universal HBV DNA screening without anti-HBc, whereas four respondents did not screen for either. Deferral strategies for anti-HBc positive donors were highly variable. One transfusion-transmission from an anti-HBc negative donor was reported.
Discussion
Anti-HBc screening identifies donors with OBI but also results in the unnecessary deferral of a significant number of donors with resolved HBV infection and donors with false-reactive anti-HBc results. Whilst confirmation of anti-HBc results could be improved to reduce donor deferral, transmission risks associated with anti-HBc negative OBI donors must be considered. In high-endemic areas, highly sensitive HBV DNA testing is required to identify infectious donors.
Details
- Title
- International review of blood donation screening for anti-HBc and occult hepatitis B virus infection
- Authors
- Michael X. Fu - University of OxfordHelen M. Faddy - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - BiomedicineDaniel Candotti - Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-MondorJamel Groves - American Red CrossPaula Saa - American Red CrossClaire Styles - Australian Red Cross LifebloodOpeyemi Adesina - Babcock UniversityJose Perez Carrillo - Universidad De SantanderAxel Seltsam - German Red CrossMarijke Weber-Schehl - German Red CrossSheila F. O'Brien - Canadian Blood ServicesSteven J. Drews - Canadian Blood ServicesNana Benyin Aidoo - Cape Coast Technical Universityangel Luis Pajares - Comunidad de MadridLaura Navarro Perez - Centre de Transfusió de la Comunitat Valenciana (Spain)Xuelian Deng - Dalian Blood Centre (China, Dalian)Thijs van de Laar - SanquinSyria Laperche - Établissement Français du SangRiikka Lehtisalo - Finnish Red CrossSoner Yilmaz - Gülhane Regional Blood Centre (Turkey)Wai-Chiu Tsoi - Hong Kong Red CrossDavid Juhl - University Hospital Schleswig-HolsteinChristoph Niederhauser - Swiss Red CrossNahid Chenarsabz - Iranian Legal Medicine OrganizationNiamh O'Flaherty - Irish Blood Transfusion ServiceNaoko Goto - Japanese Red Cross Society, JapanMasahiro Satake - Japanese Red Cross Society, JapanChristian Renaud - Héma-QuébecAntoine Lewin - Héma-QuébecMarc Cloutier - Héma-QuébecSalam Sawadogo - National Blood Transfusion Center of Burkina Faso (Burkina Faso)Claire Reynolds - NHS Blood and TransplantEugene Zhiburt - Pirogov Russian National Research Medical UniversityAn Muylaert - Red Cross Flanders (Belgium)Veronique van Gaever - Red Cross Flanders (Belgium)Michel-Andres Garcia-Otalora - Universidad del RosarioLisa Jarvis - Scottish National Blood Transfusion ServiceMarion Vermeulen - South African National Blood ServiceMichael Busch - VitalantStuart Blackmore - Welsh Blood Service (Wales, Pontyclun)Ann Jones - Welsh Blood Service (Wales, Pontyclun)Su Brailsford - NHS Blood and TransplantWilliam L. Irving - Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustMonique Andersson - Oxford University Hospitals NHS TrustPeter Simmonds - University of OxfordHeli Harvala - NHS Blood and TransplantVirology subgroup of the ISBT WP-TTID (Research Group)
- Publication details
- Transfusion, Vol.64(11), pp.2144-2156; 13
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1111/trf.18018
- ISSN
- 1537-2995
- PMID
- 39359112
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). Transfusion published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of AABB. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The original datasets used and analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Grant note
- National Institute for Health and Care Research. Grant Number: NIHR203338
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - Biomedicine
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991067191902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
79 File views/ downloads
78 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Hematology
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: SDGs from InCites