[Application of molecular biology to blood transfusion safety: the nucleic acid testing].

Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) for HIV-1 and HCV has been introduced in France and became mandatory for all homologous blood donations since July 1st 2001 in addition to serology screening. Previously, a feasibility study led to the selection of 2 technologies : a TMA based assay (Chiron) uses the Procleix HIV-/HCV assay on pools of 8 samples and a PCR based assay from BioMérieux-Roche which is a combination of an RNA extraction system (NucliSens, BioMérieux) with a fully automated system for nucleic acid amplification and detection (Cobas Amplicor, Roche). This system uses the Cobas Ampliscreen HCV test v.

Blood donors infected with the hepatitis B virus but persistently lacking antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen.

Background And Objectives: Antibodies to the core of hepatitis B virus (anti-HBc) are considered to be the best serologically reliable markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Through a national epidemiological survey, two young and first-time blood donors, originating from HBV-endemic areas, were identified as HBV carriers with an absence of anti-HBc reactivity.

Materials And Methods: We followed up these two subjects in order to investigate the evolution of their HBV serological profiles.

A comparative evaluation of the sensitivity of five anti-hepatitis C virus immunoblot assays.

Background And Objectives: In order to compare sensitivity, five anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) immunoblot assays were tested (Deciscan plus, Inno-Lia III, Matrix, Murex Western blot and RIBA-3).

Materials And Methods: The test panel (50 samples for each assay) included 6 anti-HCV-negative samples and 44 samples from 36 HCV-infected subjects.

Results: There were minor differences in core reactivity among the assays.

[Results of the first 9 months of testing for anti-HIV antibodies in blood donors in France].

An inquiry conducted in all the French blood transfusion centres from the 1st of July, 1985 to the 31st of March, 1986 in respect of blood donations confirmed to be positive for anti-HIV antibodies has given the following results: prevalence of 0.59 per thousand (1661/2,809,744); significant difference between first-time and regular blood donors (2.04% and 0.

[Hepatitis B virus markers and lymphocyte populations in the asymptomatic multiple-drug addict].

The authors have studied in particular hepatitis B virus markers and the ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ cells in two subgroups of 52 deprived asymptomatic drug addicts. In the group 1 (deprived for 19 days on an average), 52% of the subjects showed a ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ less than 1, whereas in the group 2 (deprived for 30 months on an average), this percentage is only of 25%. HBV markers were present in 90% of the subjects in each group.

[Demonstration of Australia antigen in a rheumatologic population].

The authors looked for Australia antigen in a population of 578 rheumatic patients, 300 of whom were polyarthritic, by electrosyneresis and complement fixation methods. Australia antigen was found in 26 patients, and anti-Australia antibodies in 33 patients. Most of these patients were suffering from rheumatoid polyarthritis--22 presented hepatic disturbance, and 28 had undergone surgical operations, blood transfusions, and repeated hospitalization.

[Plasma concentrations of LH and of sex steroids during the normal menstrual cycle and during contraceptive treatment].

The authors have studied the long-term effects of combined oestrogen-progestogen on the secretion of gonadotrophins and on ovarian function. Estimation of the radio-immune levels of the plasma concentrations of the pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH), of oestradiol (E2), of progesterone (P) and of 20 alpha hydroxyprogesterone (20 alpha OHP) and of testosterone (T) served as a base for this study. A test cycle and 8 cycles in which a combination of 50 micrograms of ethinyl-oestradiol and 0.