To the Editor: The Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) has informed Australian eye banks that nucleic acid testing (NAT) of donor sera will be required in addition to routine serological tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV. NAT can detect viral genome in the window period between infection and the appearance of antigen or antibody, and is to commence in Australia as soon as possible. However, we believe the benefit of NAT would be small and the cost considerable. Importantly, it would be likely to have an adverse effect on the availability of donor corneas for transplantation.
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- 2. Tugwell BD, Patel PR, Williams IT, et al. Transmission of hepatitis C virus to several organ and tissue recipients from an antibody-negative donor. Ann Intern Med 2005; 143: 648-654.
- 3. Pepose JS, MacRae S, Quinn TC, Ward JW. Serologic markers after the transplantation of corneas from donors infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Am J Ophthalmol 1987; 103: 798-801.
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- 5. Sengler U, Reinhard T, Adams O, et al. Testing of corneoscleral discs and their culture media of seropositive donors for hepatitis B and C virus genomes. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2001; 239: 783-787.
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Paul Badenoch is the Quality Control Officer and Douglas Coster is the Medical Director of the Eye Bank of South Australia.