Elevated Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in Blood Donors: The Contribution of Hepatitis C Virus

Brief Reports1 December 1991Elevated Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in Blood Donors: The Contribution of Hepatitis C VirusWilliam N. Katkov, MD, Lawrence S. Friedman, MD, Heather Cody, BS, Alison Evans, ScD, George Kuo, PhD, Qui-Lim Choo, PhD, Michael Houghton, PhD, Jules L. Dienstag, MDWilliam N. Katkov, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Lawrence S. Friedman, MDSearch for more papers by this author, Heather Cody, BSSearch for more papers by this author, Alison Evans, ScDSearch for more papers by this author, George Kuo, PhDSearch for more papers by this author, Qui-Lim Choo, PhDSearch for more papers by this author, Michael Houghton, PhDSearch for more papers by this author, Jules L. Dienstag, MDSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-115-11-882 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptBefore serologic tests for hepatitis C virus (HCV) were developed (1), elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen were introduced as "surrogate" markers to screen donor blood likely to transmit non-A, non-B hepatitis (2-5). In 1983, anticipating the introduction of donor-blood ALT screening, we studied 100 consecutive blood donors with elevated ALT levels (6). In our report describing this analysis (6), we identified potential causes for the ALT elevation in most of these blood donors; however, no apparent cause for the ALT elevations could be found in 22% of donors. Tests for HCV infection...References1. Kuo G, Choo Q, Alter H, Gitnick G, Redeker A, and Purcell R. An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science. 1989;244:362-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Aach R, Szmuness W, Mosley J, Hollinger F, Kahn R, and Stevens C. Serum alanine aminotransferase of donors in relation to the risk of non-A, non-B hepatitis in recipients: the transfusion-transmitted viruses study. N Engl J Med. 1981;304:989-94. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Alter H, Purcell R, Holland P, Alling D, and Koziol D. Donor transaminase and recipient hepatitis: impact on blood transfusion services. JAMA. 1981;246:630-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Stevens C, Aach R, Hollinger F, Mosley J, Szmuness W, and Kahn R. Hepatitis B virus antibody in blood donors and the occurrence of non-A, non-B hepatitis in transfusion recipients: an analysis of the transfusion-transmitted viruses study. Ann Intern Med. 1984;101:733-8. LinkGoogle Scholar5. Koziol D, Holland P, Alling D, Melpolder J, Solomon R, and Purcell R. Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen as a paradoxical marker for non-A, non-B hepatitis agents in donated blood. Ann Intern Med. 1986;104:488-95. LinkGoogle Scholar6. Friedman L, Dienstag J, Watkins E, Hinkle C, Spiers J, and Rieder S. Evaluation of blood donors with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Ann Intern Med. 1987;107:137-44. LinkGoogle Scholar7. van der Poel C, Cuypers H, Reesink H, Weiner A, Quan S, and Di Nello R. Confirmation of hepatitis C virus infection by new four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay. Lancet 1991;337:317-19. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Palmer M and Schaffner F. Effect of weight reduction on hepatic abnormalities in overweight patients. Gastroenterology. 1990;99:1408-13. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Sherman K and Dodd R. Alanine aminotransferase levels among volunteer blood donors: Geographic variation and risk factors. J Infect Dis. 1982;145:383-6. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. MacFarlane I, Smith H, Johnson P, Bray G, Vergani D, and Williams R. Hepatitis C virus antibodies in chronic active hepatitis: Pathogenetic factor or false-positive result? Lancet. 1990;335:754-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: William N. Katkov, MD; Lawrence S. Friedman, MD; Heather Cody, BS; Alison Evans, ScD; George Kuo, PhD; Qui-Lim Choo, PhD; Michael Houghton, PhD; Jules L. Dienstag, MDFrom Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and the Chiron Corporation, Emeryville, California. For current author addresses, see end of text. 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