Croatian blood transfusion service in prevention of HIV spread during the war.

Beside the war, an unfavorable epidemiological situation and a large number of foreign peace troops that entered the country without having been previously tested for infectious diseases, the number of AIDS cases in our country remained relatively low. The transfusion service played a considerable part in the prevention of HIV infection spread. Although the blood transfusion service was faced with higher demands for blood and blood products, throughout the period of the war not a single blood unit was imported and no single unit of blood components was transfused without having been previously tested for the presence of viral disease markers. Despite enormous economic difficulties, three new diagnostic tests were then introduced in our transfusion practice as a regular procedure: anti-HCV in 1993, anti-HIV 2 in 1994 and anti-HIV 1/0 in 1995.

[Reactivity and immunogenicity of Engerix B, the recombinant DNA vaccine against hepatitis B]. / Ispitivanje reaktogenosti i imunogenosti rekombinantne DNA vakcine protiv hepatitisa B "Engerix-B".

A group of 67 health workers with no markers indicating previous hepatitis B infection were vaccinated against hepatitis B with a new DNA recombinant vaccine, Engerix B (commercially manufactured by Smith-Kline-RIT, Belgium). Three injections were given according to the 0-1-6 schedule. One month after the last injection the vaccinees were tested for anti-HBs antibodies by the enzyme-linked assay. Antibody titers equal or less than 10 mIU/ml were found only in three subjects or in 4.5% of them. Titers ranging from 11 to 99 mIU/ml were found in 7 subjects (10.4%), from 100 to 999 mIU/ml in 28 (41.8%) and those equal or more than 1000 mIU/ml in 29 subjects (43.3%). It is inferred that the seroconversion rate is 95.5%. Only one subject did not develop detectable antibodies but three subjects had titers over 10000 mIU/ml. No one developed overt hepatitis B during the trial nor did the high responders experienced inapparent infections. They were tested for anti HBc with negative results. Postvaccinal reactions were mild and almost exclusively local. There were no complications. For its high immunogenicity and acceptable reactogenicity the Engerix B vaccine has a promising future.