A Prospective Study on Posttransfusion Hepatitis Type C

A prospective study on posttransfusion hepatitic type C(PT-HC) was carried out during 1990 to 1991 in county A and B of hebei Province. In county A, the blood donors were screened using ALT and HBsAg before blood donation, and 64 recipients were followedup; in county B, the blood donors were not screened using any marker before donation, and 90 recitients were followedup. The total iufectious rates of posttransfusion hepatitis were 21.9% and 44.4% in county A and B respectively. The seroconversion rates of anti-HCV were 18.8% and 45.6% in county Aand B,and the attack rates of PT-HC were 14.4% and 41.1%,respectively.The time of first detected ALT elevation to blood transfusion were 51.9±20.9%days and 48.2±16.8 days in county A and B respectively,and 35.9±17.9 for patients who were positive of anti-HCV before blood transfusion.The average time of positive Conversion of anti-HCV to blood transfusion was 42.4±15.9 days in county A,38.4±11.8 days in county B.The infection rates of HCV were 88.2%(45/51)and 7.8%(8/103) for patients who were transfused blood with and aithout anti-HCV respectively,and among them the attack rates of PT-HC were 78.4%(40/51) and 5.8% (6/103).The attack rate of PT-HC for cases who had been infected with HCV subclinically before blood transfusion was 52.4%(11/21).