RESULTS OF RETROACTIVE TESTING OF HUMAN SEMEN DONORS FOR CYSTIC-FIBROSIS AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Retroactive testing for cystic fibrosis carrier status was performed o n 149 semen donors and 100 donor applicants; 162 human immunodeficienc y virus (HIV-1) sero-negative non-active semen donors and 45 HIV-1 ser o-negative actively donating semen donors were also retroactively test ed for HIV-1 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The 249 individuals t ested for cystic fibrosis were examined for seven mutations including DELTAF508, G542X, S5491, S549N, G551D, R553X, and W1282X. Of 149 retro actively tested donors, rive (3.4%) were determined to be heterozygous carriers of the DELTAF508 mutation for cystic fibrosis. One of the 10 0 donor applicants was also heterozygous for DELTAF508. The 207 HIV-1 sero-negative donors had an average of 15.4 (range 2-45) HIV antibody tests during an average of 15.6 (range 1-68) months of donations. No d onors had positive seroconversion. These donors also tested negative f or HIV by PCR. Cystic fibrosis testing of donor applicants prevents kn own carriers from being used for artificial insemination by donor ther apy and reduces substantially the risk of an offspring being born with the disease. With stringent donor selection and exclusion of high-HIV -risk applicants, the occurrence of HIV infection and subsequent seroc onversion in donor populations should be very infrequent.