The results of nucleic acid testing for viruses in individual donor test and its importance for the safety of blood

The aim of the study was to evaluate the results of nucleic acid testing for viruses in an individual donor test in National Blood Center; the objectives – to analyze the prevalence of infectious disease markers per 100 seronegative remunerated and non-remunerated, first-time and regular whole-blood donations and to assess the odds ratio in detecting the infectious disease markers among remunerated and non-remunerated donations.
Materials and methods. All seronegative (for compulsory hepatitis B surface antigen, antibodies against hepatitis C, and antibodies against HIV-1/2 tests) whole-blood donations were tested by Procleix Ultrio (Tigris, Chiron) system at the National Blood Center in 2005–2007 in order to identify HIV-1, hepatitis C, and hepatitis B viruses.
Results. There were 152229 seronegative whole-blood donations tested by nucleic acid test of viruses in individual donor tests (ID-NAT). In 152146 cases, no infectious disease marker was found, and in 83 cases (or 0.05% of all seronegative whole blood donations), infectious disease markers were determined and confirmed. The prevalences of hepatitis C virus (determined by HCV-NAT method) per 100 seronegative blood donations were as follows: 0.061 among first-time remunerated donations and 0.042 among regular remunerated donations. The prevalences of hepatitis B virus (determined by HBV-NAT method) per 100 seronegative blood donations were as follows: 0.111 among first-time remunerated donations, 0.062 among regular remunerated donations, 0.014 among first-time non-remunerated donations, and 0.005 among regular non-remunerated donations. The remunerated donations showed the higher odds ratios in determining the infectious disease marker by ID-NAT test, comparing with non-remunerated ones.
Conclusions. 1. The prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, determined by ID-NAT test, per 100 seronegative whole-blood donations is statistically significantly higher in remunerated donations. 2. The remunerated donations had the higher odds ratios in determining the infectious disease marker by ID-NAT test, comparing with non-remunerated ones. 3. In order to maximize the safety of blood and blood products, the continuity of promotion of non-remunerated whole-blood donations program should be ensured, and a compulsory blood donor testing for nucleic acids of viruses in an individual donor test should be introduced.