SEROPREVALENCE STUDY OF PARVOVIRUS BI9 AMONG NORMAL BLOOD DONORS AND TRANSFUSED AND NON-TRANSFUSED SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA PATIENTS AT LAGOS UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL (LUTH)

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) is one of the emerging agents of transfusion
transmissible infection, and occurs in all regions where it has been studied. The
aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of PVB19 in blood donors
and sickle cell anaemia patients and to evaluate the likelihood that transfusion
will lead to infection in sickle cell anaemia patients.
A cross sectional study was conducted on volunteer blood donors and sickle cell
anaemia patients at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos Nigeria. Three
hundred participants, consisting of 150 blood donors and 150 sickle cell anaemia
subjects, who satisfied the inclusion criteria, were enrolled into the study. An
Enzyme immunoassay for the in-vitro diagnostic determination of IgG and IgM
anti-PVB19 in human serum manufactured by Immuno-Biological Laboratories,
(IBL) inc. 8201 central Ave. Minneapolis, USA, was used. Antibody to PVB19 was
indicated when the absorbance value is more than 20% above cut off control
that was determined by calibration.
Ninety nine (66%) of the 150 blood donors were positive for anti-PVB19 IgG
antibody while ninety two (61.3%) of the 150 sickle cell patients were positive.
No significant difference occurred between blood donors and sickle cell anaemia
subjects, p=0.4710.
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Anti-PVB19 IgG antibody was more frequent in older than younger participants,
in both study group but this was not statistically significant, p>0.05.
Forty-eight (68.6%) of the 70 female sickle cell anaemia subjects were anti
PVB19 IgG positive. This rate is not significantly higher than that in male sickle
cell anaemia subjects, 44(55%) of the 80 male subjects being positive, p=0.089.
Likewise, sex is not a risk factor for PVB 19 IgG antibody among donor subjects,
p>0.05.
Two (1.3%) of the 150 blood donors were positive with regard to anti-PVB19
IgM antibodies which gives 1.3% likelihood that donor blood may lead to
transfusion transmissible infection. Prevalence of anti-PVB19 IgG antibody was
not significantly higher in non-transfused (64.86%) than in transfused (57.89%)
sickle cell patients. Anti-PVB19 IgM antibody was seen in 7 (9.46%) of the 74
non-transfused patients and 1(1.32%) of the 76 transfused sickle cell anaemia
patients. This difference between the two groups was also not significant, p =
0.063.
Thus, no association was established between anti-PVB19 IgG or IgM antibodies
and history of blood transfusion in sickle cell anaemia subjects. Therefore,
screening of blood donors for PVB19 IgM antibodies may neither be necessary
nor cost effective for transfusion to sickle cell anaemia subjects.

SEROPREVALENCE STUDY OF PARVOVIRUS BI9 AMONG NORMAL BLOOD DONORS AND TRANSFUSED AND NON-TRANSFUSED SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA PATIENTS AT LAGOS UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL (LUTH)