Study on Serologic Test for Syphilis as a Surrogate Marker for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection among Korean Blood Donors.
- Author:
Dong Hee SEO
1
;
Yong Rae LEE
;
Young Chul OH
;
Dong Jip KIM
Author Information
1. Blood Transfusion Research Institute and Central Blood Center, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
STS;
HIV;
Blood Donation;
Surrogate marker
- MeSH:
Biomarkers*;
Blood Donors*;
Donor Selection;
HIV Infections;
HIV*;
Humans*;
Red Cross;
Refrigeration;
Serologic Tests*;
Syphilis*;
Tissue Donors
- From:Korean Journal of Blood Transfusion
2001;12(2):231-236
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Serologic test for syphilis(STS) is an old traditional donor screening test for preventing transfusion-transmitted syphilis. By conducting STS, history taking for donors and refrigeration of blood, transfusion associated syphilis is very rare at present. This study evaluated the usefulness of the STS as a surrogate marker for preventing the transfusion of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) via the transfusion of infectious window-period blood in Korean blood donors. METHODS: Demographic and laboratory information on blood donations made between January 1997 and December 1998 in 16 Korean Red Cross Blood Centers was analyzed. STS positive rate of 239 HIV-infected people and blood donors in 1999 were investigated. RESULTS: Of 4,808,297 donations over 2-year period, 3,956 (0.08%) were positive in STS and 40 (0.0008%) were anti-HIV confirmed positive. Of those, two were simultaneously positive for STS and anti-HIV. Among donations, Anti-HIV positive donations were 64 times more likely to be STS positive(odds ratio=63.9) and positive predictive value (PPV) of STS for anti-HIV was 0.05%. Fourteen of 239 HIV-infected people were STS positive. CONCLUSION: STS positivity was higher in anti-HIV positive donors, but the PPV of STS for anti-HIV was low. STS as a donor screening test is considered as a poor marker for preventing post-screening HIV infections and the usefulness of STS must be evaluated in its own value.