فراواني عفونت نهفته ويروس هپاتيت B در اهداكنندگان خون شهرستان اراك

Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection among Blood Donors in Arak

Background and objective: Occult Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in blood donors is considered a potential threat for the safety of blood supply. The aim of this study was to assess the occult HBV infection in blood donors with isolated Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) living in Arak city. Materials and methods: A total of 531 voluntary blood donors in Arak were included in this study. HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and anti-HCV were tested in all subjects. The presence of HBV-DNA was determined in cases with isolated anti-HBc (HBsAg negative, anti-HBs negative and anti-HBc positive) by real-time PCR. Results: Of 531 subjects enrolled in this study, 11 cases (2.07%) had isolated anti-HBc. HBV-DNA was not detected in any of the cases with isolated anti-HBc. Conclusion: Our study showed that occult HBV infection is rare in the blood donors with isolated anti-HBc in a low prevalence region for HBV infection.