SEROPREVALENCE OF PARVOVIRUS B19, CYTOMEGALOVIRUS, HEPATITIS-A VIRUS AND HEPATITIS-E VIRUS-ANTIBODIES IN HEMOPHILIACS TREATED EXCLUSIVELY WITH CLOTTING-FACTOR CONCENTRATES CONSIDERED SAFE AGAINST HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUSES

Clotting-factor concentrates (CFC) are a potential source of transmiss ion of blood-borne viruses. Newer physical and chemical methods (paste urization, wet-heating, solvent/detergent treating) developed to inact ivate viruses are effective against HIV, HBV and HCV. However, it is n ot clear if these methods protect against other pathogenic viruses suc h as parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis A virus (HAV) an d hepatitis E virus (HEV). To evaluate the safety of current CFC we ha ve studied seroprevalence of parovirus B19, CMV, HAV and HEV antibodie s in 22 HIV and HCV negative haemophiliacs who were treated exclusivel y with clotting-factor concentrates considered safe with respect to HI V and HCV transmission. 22 healthy individuals served as controls. Nei ther HAV nor HEV antibodies were detected in haemophiliacs or controls . Two controls and two haemophiliacs were seropositive for CMV. Five c ontrols (32% prevalence) and 15 haemophiliacs (77%) were positive to p arovirus B19. No statistical differences can be established for seropo sitivity with CMV, HAV and HEV between haemophilic patients and contro ls. In the case of parvovirus B19 the differences are statistically si gnificant (P=0.0128). The relative risk of parvovirus B19 is 2.4 in th e case of haemophiliacs. CFC considered safe against HIV and HCV are n ot safe against parvovirus B19, although they seem to be safe against CMV, HAV and HEV.