Detection of Hepatitis B Core Immunoglobulin M Antibody among Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Negative Blood Donors.

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to detect the specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) to hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) as a reliable diagnostic marker to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in comparison to the most commonly used hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The study was carried out in the Blood Bank of Omdurman Teaching Hospital, during the period from June to October, 2012, among voluntary blood donors (VBD) who were found negative to HBsAg using the solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results obtained revealed that, out of the 90 VBD (n= 90) examined by ELISA, 5 donors (5/90) were confirmed positive to anti-HBc Ag specific IgM (5.6 %). Among these 5 positive subjects, 2 VBD (2/5) were among the age group 26-30 years (40 %), 2 donors among the age group 31-35 years (40 %), only one donor (1/5) among the age group 20-25 (20 %), and no single blood donor above 35 years of age was detected IgM positive to anti-HBc Ag. When other predisposing factors to HBV infection were examined, both marital status and previous repeated blood transfusions had no significant effect (p > 0.05) among IgM- positive blood donors.