RESUMO
Since January 6th 1994 to december 31 1997. We researched hepatitis C Virus antibodies by second and third generation ELISA in 34,130 bloods donors living in "Sahel Tunisien". 193 were positive (0.56%). Only 171 of them were secondary tested by immunoblot assay (anticore, anti NS5, anti NS3, anti NS4). Which was positive in 53 cases (30.9%); in determined (presence of only one antibody) in 78 cases (45.6%) and negative, in 40 cases (23.3%). There was a significant relation between a ratio over than 2.5 in ELISA and immunoblot positivity. Immune response to different hepatitis virus antigens were heterogeneous with predominant in determined profile. (78/171 cases). Most of donors of the last profile had either anti NS5 (32/78) or anti NS3 (33/78) and we excluded them even through usually negative in P.C.R and associated with a very low risk of contamination.
Assuntos
Doadores de Sangue , Anticorpos Anti-Hepatite C/sangue , Adulto , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Hepacivirus/imunologia , Antígenos da Hepatite C/sangue , Humanos , Immunoblotting , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase , RNA Helicases/análise , RNA Polimerase Dependente de RNA/análise , Fatores de Risco , Reação Transfusional , Tunísia , Proteínas não Estruturais Virais/análiseRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Recent epidemiological studies in Europe and in USA using antigliadin antibodies and antiendomysium antibodies for initial screening have shown that the overall prevalence of celiac disease (CD) is about 1:200 (0.5%). AIM: To screen for CD in healthy blood donors in Tunisia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sera from 2500 healthy blood donors (median age: 21 years, 70% men and 30% women) were screened for IgG-antigliadin antibodies and IgA-antigliadin antibodies with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All sera with positive antigliadin antibodies were tested for antiendomysium antibodies using human umbilical cord cryosections as substrate. RESULTS: Seven healthy blood donors (median age: 21 years; four men, three women) have antiendomysium antibodies. The prevalence of antiendomysium antibodies in healthy blood donors in Tunisia is 1:355 (0.28%). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of a high specificity of the antiendomysium antibodies, it is likely that the seven blood donors identified in this study have CD. These data suggest that CD is frequent in Tunisia.