A strategical re-thinking on National Blood Donor Pool: Anti-HBc positivity related re-entry mechanisms. Issue 2 (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yilmaz, Soner; Unlu, Aytekin; Cetinkaya, Riza Aytac; Yapar, Mehmet; Avci, Ismail Yasar; Yilmaz, Sebahattin; Eyigun, Can Polat
• Is Part Of: Transfusion and apheresis science. Volume 54:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 271
• Page End: 275
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Anti-HBc assays -- Transfusion-associated HBV -- Blood donor screening -- HBV DNA -- Anti-HBs; Blood -- Transfusion -- Periodicals; Hemapheresis -- Periodicals; 615.39
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2015.10.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-0502

Abstract

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Screening of blood donations for antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) is used to prevent transfusion transmitted hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this study, we studied the magnitude of blood donor gain by using a re-entry mechanism in our Blood Bank of Gulhane Military Academy of Medicine. Materials and Methods: Between January and May 2013, 5148 voluntary blood donors were screened by ELISA method for HBsAg, anti-HBc total and other screening markers, prospectively. Samples with repeated reactivity for the presence of anti-HBc were further tested with four supplemental assays. Results: We detected 515 (10%) anti-HBc positive and 4612 (90%) anti-HBc negative cases in 5127 HBsAg negative serum samples. A total of 461 (89.5%) blood units were reactive for at least one additional serologic parameter and 54 were (10.5%) negative. Isolated anti-HBc positivity rate was 1.3% (69/5127). In the isolated anti-HBc positive samples, 54 were also anti-HBe and HBeAg negative. HBV DNA was not detected in any of the samples. Conclusion: Applying the EDQM criteria would decrease our blood donor loss from 10% to 5.4%. As alternative re-entry mechanisms have already been presented in the literature, institution of a new policy is needed to enhance the limited blood donor pool in our system.