Hepatites pós-transfusionais na cidade de Campinas, SP, Brasil. II. Presença dos anticorpos anti-HBc e anti-HCV em candidatos a doadores de sangue e ocorrência de hepatites pós-transfusionais pelo vírus C nos receptores de sangue ou derivados / Post-transfusional hepatitis in the city of Campinas, SP, Brazil. II. Presence of anti-HBc and anti-HCV antibodies in blood donor candidates and occurrence of post-transfusional hepatitis C in recipients of blood or derivates

We have analysed anti-HBc and anti-HCV antibodies in serum samples from 799 donors which had their blood or derivates transfused to 111 recipients. Anti-HBc and anti-HCV were reactive in respectively 9 and 2.1 of the donors tested. We have observed that among the 111 recipients, 44 had received at least one positive anti-HBc unit and 67 had been transfused only with negative anti-HBc, units. The risk of developing hepatitis C virus was 4.5 times higher for the recipients who received at least one positive anti-HBc unit. If the test for anti-HBc had been made for the blood donors in the serological screening, about 56 of the HCV cases in the recipients could have been avoided. The population of recipients who received at least one reacting unit of anti-HCV, presented a risk 29 times higher of developing this hepatitis, as compared to the transfused recipients with all anti-HCV negative units. Testing blood from donors for anti-HCV would avoid 79 of the post-transfusional HCV cases. Brazilian candidates to blood donors seem to be carriers either simultaneously or sequentially to hepatitis virus B and C, since 44.4 of the positive anti-HCV were also positive for anti-HBc. Testing for anti-HBc and anti-HCV in blood screening must be indicated in order to prevent post-transfusional hepatitis transmission in our community.