Limitations of Solid-Phase Radioimmunoassay for HB Ag in Reducing Frequency of Post-Transfusion Hepatitis

Abstract

To determine if a recently licensed radioimmunoassay (Ausria-125) would further reduce the incidence of type B hepatitis, 139 presumably susceptible recipients were prospectively studied after they had received blood negative for hepatitis B antigen by counterelectrophoresis. Fifteen cases of icteric or anicteric hepatitis occurred, but only four could be attributed to hepatitis B. No hepatitis B occurred in nine subjects who received radioimmunoassay-positive blood alone, and only one in 10 who had received radioimmunoassay-positive and hepatitis-B-antigen-positive blood. Type B hepatitis developed in three of 120 patients who received radioimmunoassay-negative blood, If serologic responses only are compared, exposure to hepatitis B or hepatitis B antigen occurred in six of 19 recipients (31.6 per cent) of radioimmunoassay-positive blood. Only eight of 120 (6.7 per cent) responded among the recipients of radioimmunoassay-negative blood. These findings do not support proposals for universal compulsory implementation at present of the Ausria immunoassay for screening blood donors to reduce the risk of hepatitis. (N Engl J Med 289:385–391, 1973)