Anti-IFN autoantibodies are present in healthy Egyptian blood donors at low titer

Autoantibody against interferon is associated in many viral and non-viral diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anti-IFN-alpha autoantibodies in healthy Egyptian blood donors. The study included 558 (100 females (17.92%) and 458 males (82.08%)) Egyptian healthy blood donors who showed normal levels of liver enzymes and kidney tests and were conformed negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies (Abs), HIV-1/2 Abs, anti-HBc and Treponema Abs. Autoantibody against IFN-alpha-1a and IFN-alpha-2b were screened using ELISA. Anti-IFN-alpha-1a positive cases were found to be 43 subject (7.76%; 6 females (1.08%); 37 males (6.68%)) and anti-IFN-alpha-2b positive cases were found to be 3 (0.54%; all males). Combined positivity against both IFN-alpha-1a and IFN-alpha-2b was 38 (6.86%; 7 females (1.26%) and 31 males (6.60%)). From these findings we can conclude that antibodies against IFN-alpha are present in considerable number at low titer in accepted blood donors.