Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Hepatitis C Virus and eliminating post-transfusion hepatitis

Nature Medicine volume 6, pages 1082–1086 (2000)Cite this article

You'll wonder where the yellow went: A 30-year perspective on the near-eradication of post-transfusion hepatitis

Harvey J. Alter

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: An Australian Aborigine (left) and the precipitin line formed between the aboriginal serum and that of a multiply transfused patient with hemophilia (right).
Figure 2: The decreasing incidence of transfusion-associated hepatitis in blood recipients monitored prospectively.
Figure 3
Figure 4

References

  1. Blumberg, B.S., Alter, H.J. & Visnich, S. A “new” antigen in leukemia sera. JAMA 191, 541–546 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Alter, H.J. & Blumberg, B.S. Further studies on a “new” human isoprecipitin system (Australia antigen). Blood 27, 297–309 (1966).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Alter, H.J. et al. Posttransfusion hepatitis after exclusion of the commercial and hepatitis B antigen positive donor. Ann. Int. Med. 77, 691–699 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Feinstone, S.M., Kapikian, A.Z. & Purcell, R.H. Hepatitis A detection by immune electron microscopy of a virus-like antigen associated with acute illness. Science 182, 1026–1028 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Feinstone, S.M., Kapikian, A.Z., Purcell, R.H., Alter, H.J. & Holland, P.V. Transfusion- associated hepatitis not due to viral hepatitis type A or B. N. Engl. J. Med. 292, 767–770 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Alter, H.J., Purcell, R.H., Holland, P.V. & Popper, H. Transmissible agent in “non-A, non-B” hepatitis. Lancet 1, 459–463 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Alter, H.J. et al. Transmission of HTLV-III Infection from human plasma to chimpanzees: an animal model for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Science 226, 549–552 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Feinstone, J.M. et al. Inactivation of hepatitis b virus and non-a, non-b virus by chloroform. Infect. Immun. 4, 816–821 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  9. He, L-F. et al. Determining the size of non-A, non-B hepatitis virus by filtration. J. Inf. Dis. 156, 636–640 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Farci, P. et al. Lack of protective immunity against reinfection with hepatitis C virus. Science 258, 135–140 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Farci, P. et al. Prevention of HCV infection in chimpanzees following antibody-mediated in vitro neutralization. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 7792 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Conry-Cantilena, C. et al. Routes of infection, viremia, and liver disease in blood donors found to have hepatitis C virus infection. N. Engl.J. Med. 334, 1691–1696 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Seeff, L.B. et al. Long-term mortality after transfusion-associated non-A, non-B hepatitis. N. Engl. J. Med. 327, 1906–1911 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Farci, P. et al. The outcome of acute hepatitis C predicted by the evolution of the viral quasispecies. Science 288, 339–344 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Alter, H.J., Purcell, R.H., Holland, P.V., Alling, D.W. & Koziol, D.E. The relationship of donor transaminase (ALT) to recipient hepatitis: impact on blood transfusion services. JAMA 246, 630–634 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Koziol, D.E. et al. Antibody to hepatitis B core antigen as a paradoxical marker for non-A, non-B hepatitis agents in donated blood. Ann. Intern. Med. 104, 488–495 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Stevens, C.E. et al. Hepatitis B virus antibody in blood donors and the occurrence of non-A, non-B hepatitis in transfusion recipients: an analysis of the transfusion-transmitted viruses study. Ann. Intern. Med. 104, 488–495 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Alter, H.J. et al. Detection of antibody to hepatitis C virus in prospectively followed transfusion recipients with acute and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. N. Engl. J. Med. 321, 1494–1500 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Shih, J.W.-K, Esteban, J.I. & Alter, H.J. Non-A, non-B hepatitis: advances and unfulfilled expectations of the first decade. Prog. Liver Dis. 8, 433–452 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Tabor, E. et al. Transmission of non-A, non-B hepatitis from man to chimpanzee. Lancet 1, 463–466 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hollinger, F.B., Gitnick, G.L. & Aach, R.D. Non-A, non-B hepatitis transmission in chimpanzees:a project of the transfusion-transmitted viruses study group. Intervirology 10, 60–68 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Shimizu, Y.K. et al. Non-A, non-B hepatitis: ultrastructural evidence for two agents in experimentally infected chimpanzees. Science 205, 197–200 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bradley, D.W. The agents of non-A, non-B hepatitis. J. Virol. Meth. 10, 307–319 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Young, R.A. & Davis, R.W. Efficient isolation of genes by using antibody probes. Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci. USA 80, 1194–1198 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Choo, Q.-L. et al. Isolation of a cDNA clone derived from a blood-borne non-A,non-B viral hepatitis genome. Science 244, 359–362 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Choo, Q.L. et al. Genetic organisation and diversity of the hepatitis C virus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 2451–2455 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Simmonds, P. Viral heterogeneity of the hepatitis C virus. J. Hepatol. 31, 54–60 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Houghton, M. in Fields Virology (eds. Fields, B.N. et al.) 1035–1058 (Raven, Philadelphia, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Reed, K. & Rice, C. in The Hepatitis C Viruses (eds. Hagedorn, C. & Rice, C.) 55–84 (Springer, Berlin, 2000).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  30. DeFrancesco, R. et al. Biochemical and immunologic properties of the nonstructural proteins of the hepatitis C virus: implications for development of antiviral agents and vaccines. Semin. Liver Dis. 20, 69–83 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Weiner, A.J. et al. Evidence for immune selection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) putative envelope glycoprotein variants: potential role in chronic HCV infections. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 3468–3472 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kuo, G. et al. An assay for circulating antibodies to a major etiologic virus of human non-A, non-B hepatitis. Science 244, 362–364 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Alter, H.J. Discovery of non-A, non-B hepatitis and identification of its etiology. Am. J. Med. 107, 16S–20S (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Wasley, A. & Alter, M. Epidemiology of hepatitis C: geographical differences and temporal trends. Semin. Liver Dis. 20, 1–16 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Davis, G.L. Current therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 118, S104–S114 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Pileri, P. et al. Binding of hepatitis C virus to CD81. Science 282, 938–941 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Houghton, M. in The Hepatitis C Viruses (eds. Hagedorn, C. & Rice, C.) 327–339 (Springer, Berlin, 2000).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  38. Nelson, D.R., Marousis, C.G., Ohno, T., Davis, G.L. & Lau, J.Y. Intrahepatic hepatitis C virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity and response to interferon alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis C. Hepatology 28, 225–230 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Ezzell, C. Candidate cause identified of non-A, non-B hepatitis. Nature 333, 195 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chief, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Immunology Section, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, NIH Building 10, Room 1C711, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesdsa, 20892, Maryland

    Harvey J. Alter

  2. Chiron Corporation, 4560 Horton Street, Emeryville, 94608-2916, CA

    Michael Houghton

Authors
  1. Harvey J. Alter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Houghton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alter, H., Houghton, M. Hepatitis C Virus and eliminating post-transfusion hepatitis. Nat Med 6, 1082–1086 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/80394

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/80394

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing