Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in Egyptian blood donors

ABSTRACT

Based on the screening of 2932 samples of blood by a recombinant hepatitis [C] antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], the prevalence of hepatitis [C] [HCV] antibody reactive donors was established in an Egyptian voluntary donor population. The overall prevalence of HCV antibody was found to be 20.74%. According to age groups, the prevalence was 13.44% in age group 22-32, 22. 19% in age group 33-43, and 32.76% in age group 44-54. The ELISA HCV antibody reactive units were further tested by a recombinant immunoblot assay [RIBA] in which 95. 72% of the initially reactive samples were found to contain specific antibodies to two recombinant antigens, and the difference between ELISA, second generation and RIBA test is diagnostically insignificant. The overall prevalence of HBs Ag and anti-Hbc was 11.35% and 29.93%, respectively, of donors testing repeatedly reactive with the HCV ELISA. Likewise the prevalence was 9.68% and 22.46% respectively, in anti-HCV negative donors by ELlSA. It was concluded that, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in young ages is less than in old, and the difference is statistically significant, and we must encourage donation by youngs, and that the present anti-HCV testing, although useful in screening blood for HCV carriers, must be supplemented by surrogate test [anti-HBC+ALT] until additional specific tests become available