Detection of serum antibodies to hepatitis C virus in 'false-seronegative' blood donors in Oman

To detect hepatitis C virus [HCV] antibodies in seronegative donors by disruption of the immune complexes [ICs]. HCV antibody detection was carried out on 600 seronegative donors following an IC dissociation assay. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR] was then performed on the positive results. Nine of the 600 samples [1.5%] were positive for IC-dissociated HCV antibodies. Of the 9 only 3 antibody-positive samples had detectable HCV RNA. Screening for antibodies to HCV in combination with PCR appears to be the safest way to reduce the residual risk of HCV in blood transfusion

Evidence of occult hepatitis B virus infection among omani blood donors: a premliminary study

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], hepatitis B core antibodies [anti-HBc] and hepatitis B virus [HBV] DNA among a selected group of Omani blood donors. Two hundred HBsAg-negative donors were screened for anti-HBc. Those found to be positive were investigated for HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. HBsAg was retested on these sera following an immune complex dissociation technique. HBsAg was present in 2.8% of the donors. Forty-one out of 200 [20.5%] HBsAg-negative donors were positive for anti-HBc. Eleven were positive for HBsAg after dissociation, whereas 8 gave readings just over the cutoff. HBV DNA was not detected in this group. Findings indicate that testing donors for HBsAg alone is not sufficient to eliminate HBV from the blood supply in Oman