Document 0221
 DOCN  M9650221
 TI    Prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with primary antibody deficiency.
 DT    9605
 AU    Webster AD; Brown D; Franz A; Dusheiko G; Department of Clinical
       Immunology, Royal Free Hospital, London,; UK.
 SO    Clin Exp Immunol. 1996 Jan;103(1):5-7. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96150273
 AB    Concern over sporadic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection from treatment
       with contaminated immunoglobulin in patients with immunodeficiency
       prompted use to screen serum from 44 patients for HCV RNA. We found no
       evidence of either horizontal or iatrogenic infection in our Clinic,
       except in two patients known to have received contaminated batches, and
       in one who had had regular plasma infusions. Thus, common variable
       immunodeficiency (CVID) patients in England do not have a high incidence
       of HCV infection despite exposure to various immunoglobulin products.
       This contrasts with the recently reported high prevalence in similar
       patients in Italy. Although our data reinforce the impression that both
       intramuscular and current licensed i.v. preparations in the UK are safe,
       manufacturers should be encouraged to PCR screen all batches of
       immunoglobulin for HCV.
 DE    Agammaglobulinemia/PHYSIOPATHOLOGY/THERAPY  Common Variable
       Immunodeficiency/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/PHYSIOPATHOLOGY/  THERAPY  Hepatitis
       C/*EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/PHYSIOPATHOLOGY  Human  Immunoglobulins,
       Intravenous/ADVERSE EFFECTS  Liver Function Tests  Prevalence  JOURNAL
       ARTICLE

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