Hepatitis C Infection in Patients with Primary Hypogammaglobulinemia after Treatment with Contaminated Immune Globulin

Abstract

Background In Scandinavia many patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia contracted non-A, non-B hepatitis after intravenous treatment with an immune globulin product that was later found to contain a non-A, non-B hepatitis virus. Methods We studied the prevalence and clinical course of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in a group of 55 Norwegian patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia and investigated its association with the use of contaminated immune globulin. We used the polymerase chain reaction to detect HCV RNA and performed HCV genotyping. We also analyzed the responses to treatment with interferon. Results Of 20 patients who received the contaminated immune globulin, 17 were seropositive for HCV RNA. In addition, 1 of 35 patients not exposed to the contaminated immune globulin was HCV RNA-positive. HCV genotype V was found in all 12 patients for whom genotyping was performed, but 8 patients also had genotype II or III, or both. All HCV RNA-positive patients had abnormal results on biochemic...