Ec. Vamvakas, Risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by transfusion of blood,plasma, and plasma derivatives, J CLIN APH, 14(3), 1999, pp. 135-143
Studies in experimental animals and case-reports of transmission of Creutzf
eldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) by blood transfusion or by albumin products have r
aised the possibility that CJD may be transmitted by transfusion. The risk
of transmission of CJD by transfusion remains theoretical, since no confirm
ed case of CJD has ever been causally attributed to the receipt of a blood
transfusion, no confirmed case of CJD has developed in recipients of clotti
ng factor concentrates, and no cluster of CJD cases has been reported follo
wing the administration of a pooled plasma derivative to which a donor who
subsequently developed CJD had contributed. However, based on a review of t
he hitherto available data, it is impossible to conclude at this time that
CJD is not transmitted by blood or plasma transfusion or by the administrat
ion of pooled plasma derivatives. This review discusses the findings of the
animal experiments and the human studies that investigated the potential f
or transmission of CJD among humans by transfusion, and explains the statis
tical difficulties associated with proving the negative hypothesis that CJD
is not transmitted by transfusion. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.