In November 1989, the Japanese Red Cross began transfusion. [4][5][6] In December 1989, first-generation hepscreening blood donors for the hepatitis C virus antiatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCV) to detect the antibody (anti-HCV) by first-generation assay and high-titer body against nonstructural hepatitis C virus (HCV) hepatitis B virus core antigen antibody. A significant protein was introduced as a screening method for blood reduction in the incidence of acute posttransfusion hepdonated at the Japanese Red Cross, for the purpose atitis was reported; however, the incidence still ranged of excluding contaminated blood. Potential downward from 2% to 4%. The Red Cross changed to the secondchange in the incidence of posttransfusion hepatitis generation assay in February 1992, the objective being was greatly expected, and we reported that the incithe complete elimination of potential posttransfusion dence fell to 3.7% with HCV-donor screening from hepatitis. The aim was to elucidate the advantage of sec-9.6% without this screening. 7 In February 1992, the ond-generation assay as a blood-donor screening test.
The incidence of posttransfusion hepatitis after the in-second-generation HCV assay which detects antibodies troduction of second-generation assay was compared against both nonstructural HCV protein and HCV core with that before the introduction of the first-generation protein was employed nationwide at the Red Cross inassay and with that during its use. The incidence of poststead of the first-generation HCV assay for blood-donor transfusion hepatitis was 9.6% (216/2,240) before antiscreening. To evaluate the efficacy of this second-gener-HCV-s donor screening. It was 3.7% (24/655) and 0.9% ation assay, the present study, based on data gathered (3/326) after the introductions of the first-and secondat the Chiba University Hospital but believed to be generation hepatitis C virus (HCV) assays, respectively representative of the whole country, was performed. (x 2 Å 50.0, P õ .01). Blood-donor screening by secondgeneration anti-HCV provided a significant benefit com-PATIENTS AND METHODS pared with the first-generation assay. (HEPATOLOGY 1996;23:708-712.) Design of the Study. From January 1982, all transfused patients at Chiba University Hospital were studied prospectively by the Post-Transfusion Hepatitis Surveillance Sys-Abbreviations: anti-HCV, hepatitis C virus antibody; HCV, hepatitis C vi-11(MUMPS) at the Division of Medical Informatics of our rus; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; IU, international units; anti-HBc, hepatihospital, and contained information such as the date of transtis B core protein antibody.
fusion, number of units of transfused blood, components of