HIV P24 ANTIGEN AMONG HIV SERO-NEGATIVE BLOOD DONORS IN BENIN CITY, SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The use of HIV antibody-based test for the screening of blood donors is sub-optimal. Although HIV antibody test offers the advantage of simplicity and cost effectiveness, it is less perfect because of the possibility of transfusing blood in their window phase of HIV infection. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of HIV p24 antigen among HIV antibody negative blood donors in Benin City, South-South Nigeria. A total of 315 prospective blood donors found to be sero-negative for HIV using both determine and Uni-Gold^TM test kit were re-screened for presence of HIV p24 antigen using BIORAD GENSCREEN Ultra Ag-Ab ELISA kit. The prevalence of HIV p24 antigen among the 315 HIV sero-negative blood donors was 11 representing 3.49%. Out of the total 315 donors, 218 representing 69.2% were male while 97 representing 30.8% were female. There was no significant difference in the HIV p24 positivity between the male 07 (3.21%) and female 04 (4.12%) donors, P = 0.9403. There was no significant difference when different age groups were compared; 18 – 33 years 11 (4.07%), 34 – 49 years 0 (0.0%), 50 – 65 years 0 (0.0%), P = 0.8262. The HIV p24 positivity among ABO blood groups was compared, there was no significant difference among the ABO blood groups; group A 03 (3.90%), group B 02 (3.77%), group AB 0 (0.0%), group O 06 (3.47%), P = 0.0648. Also no significant difference was found when the rhesus positive 11 (3.73%) was compared with the rhesus negative 0 (0.0%), P = 0.8028. There was however a significant difference when the HIV p24 positivity was compared between the family replacements donations 08 (11.11%) and the voluntary donations 03 (1.23%), P = 0.0003. This study concludes that there is the need that highly sensitive technology for HIV screening especially the need for at least the inclusion of method capable of detecting HIV p24 antigen in blood for transfusion and also voluntary non remunerated blood donations which are still the safest blood needed for transfusion.