The significance of Australia-antibody in blood donors. Study of liver histology in donors and post-transfusion hepatitis in recipients.

Systematic screening by immuno-osmophoresis of 7,500 consecutively registered Danish voluntary blood donors revealed 22 with Australia-antibody. None of these persons had a previous history of hepatitis and only three had ever received a blood transfusion. In all the donors, except one, the antibody persisted during the entire period of investigation (at present: 34–38 months). Liver biopsies were performed in all 22 donors. No changes such as those seen in viral hepatitis or sequelae after viral hepatitis, i.e. fibrosis or cirrhosis, were found in any of the biopsies. It is suggested that stimulation of Au-antibody production in the present series of donors might have been caused by cellular antigens showing cross-immunity with Au-antigen and released by mechanisms other than viral hepatitis. A retrospective study was performed, comprising 12 recipients of blood transfusions from the donors with Au-antibody. None of these recipients developed post-transfusion hepatitis, and in no case could Au-antigen or Au-antibody be demonstrated.