HEPATOCELLULAR FAILURE FROM HEPATITIS-C INFECTION IN 2 RECIPIENTS OF A SINGLE BATCH INFUSION OF PLASMA-DERIVED BLOOD PRODUCTS

We report two patients with mild inherited bleeding disorders who acqu ired hepatitis C infection after receiving single infusion of plasma-d erived concentrates prior to the introduction of donor screening and v iral inactivation procedures. Both these patients became clinically ja undiced at the time of hepatitis C infection. Despite being HIV antibo dy negative, an absence of other risk factors of chronic liver disease and treatment with interferon, they progressed to hepatocellular fail ure in 5 and 12 years following seroconversion. The natural history of hepatitis C infection is still uncertain [1], although it is usually considered that hepatitis C infection progresses slowly, only resultin g in clinically manifest liver disease after several decades. In view of the apparent rapidity of onset of liver damage in these two patient s, we wonder if older age at time of infection, jaundice during the se roconversion illness or a mild coagulopathy with consequent infrequent exposure to blood products are adverse prognostic features.