An outbreak of acute hepatitis C among recipients of intravenous immunoglobulin

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
K FloraR Press

Abstract

An association between therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG, Gammagard, Baxter Healthcare Corp) and acute hepatitis C (HCV) was reported by the manufacturer in 1994. We sought to describe those patients at risk at our institution who developed HCV infection after IVIG (Gammagard) treatment(s). An inception cohort study of patients with exposure to contaminated IVIG in a university tertiary care institution. Twenty-three patients received suspect IVIG and presented to be screened for HCV via ELISA II and polymerase chain reaction techniques. We describe the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with hepatitis C infection from IVIG. Ten of 23 (44%) patients who had received immunoglobulin (2 g/kg) for neurologic or immunologic disorders and were tested for anti-HCV were positive. All were also HCV-RNA positive by polymerase chain reaction. None had other HCV risk factors; all but two had normal aminotransferases documented prior to therapy. The patients had received monthly therapy for periods ranging from 2 to 60 months. Four patients were asymptomatic and the others had mild symptoms. One patient spontaneously became PCR negative within 12 months after exposure. Patients who received intraveno...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1992·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·L ViladomiuJ Guardia
Dec 1, 1984·Rinshō shinkeigaku = Clinical neurology·T Miyatake
Jan 1, 1994·Hepatology : Official Journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases·P LamperticoM Colombo

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Citations

Mar 29, 2005·Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie·H MichelsF Buttgereit
Dec 16, 1997·Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology·W A SewellH M Chapel
Jul 15, 2003·Clinical Microbiology Reviews·David K Henderson

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