PREVALENCE AND CONSISTENCY OF ALT ELEVATION IN PLASMAPHERESIS DONORS - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD PRODUCT INFECTIVITY

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were determined in 8,420 plasmap heresis donations obtained from 431 donors over a period of 18 months. Using sex-differentiated normal ranges 2.5% of donations but 23% of d onors exhibited elevated ALT levels on at least 1 occasion. Amongst th e donors with elevated ALT this was only seen on 1 occasion in one thi rd, while a quarter had elevations in consecutive donations. No donors with consecutive elevations above 100 IU/l were detected. The results are discussed in terms of the guidelines currently recommended for as sessing post-transfusion hepatitis infectivity of blood products, such as factor VIII. It is concluded that the current allowance for infect ion acquired from sources other than blood products under consideratio n may be over-generous, leading to a potential underestimate of the tr ue rate of infection.