Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in human immunoglobulins : clinical meaning and diagnostic difficulties in children undergoing bone marrow transplant

• Published in: Bone marrow transplantation (Basingstoke) Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 95 - 97
• Main Authors: MATEOS, M. L, CAMARERO, C, MALDONADO, S, LASA, E, OTHEO, E, MUNOZ, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.07.1994
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Bone Marrow Transplantation - immunology; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Child; Double-Blind Method; Hepacivirus - immunology; Hepatitis Antibodies - adverse effects; Hepatitis Antibodies - blood; Hepatitis C - diagnosis; Hepatitis C - transmission; Hepatitis C Antibodies; Humans; Immunization, Passive; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous - adverse effects; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous - immunology; Medical sciences; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Human; Immunoglobulins; Transmission; Infection; Virus; Viral disease; Risk factor; Double blind study; Bone marrow; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Child; Graft surgical
• ISSN: 0268-3369; 1476-5365

Anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 11 children undergoing BMT. All of them had received intravenous immunoglobulins (Ig) at a dose of 500 mg/kg every 2 weeks for the first 100 days post-BMT. Antibody titers appeared after the first dose and became undetectable between 1 and 6 months after the last dose of Ig. Detection of anti-HCV antibodies in these multitransfused patients raised doubts about their clinical significance. The clearance of antibody titers in the ensuing months, negativity of HCV RNA in the serum of the patients and the presence of anti-HCV in some batches of the commercial preparations administered supported the diagnosis of a passive transfer of antibodies and that true HCV infection could be ruled out. Routine screening of donors with the most sensitive tests and exclusion of anti-HCV positive sera from plasma pools should be mandatory. The presence of anti-HCV in these products has important clinical implications, leading to more expensive and time-consuming diagnostic procedures.