Transfusion Medicine Reviews
Volume 23, Issue 2 , Pages 85-102 , April 2009

Scientific Background on the Risk Engendered by Reducing the Lifetime Blood Donation Deferral Period for Men Who Have Sex With Men

  • Eleftherios C. Vamvakas

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Eleftherios C. Vamvakas, MD, PhD, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, South Tower, Rm # 3733, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.

References 

  1. Gayle H. An overview of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic with a focus on the United States. AIDS. 2000;14(Suppl.2):S8–S17
  2. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . HIV incidence among young men who have sex with men—Seven U.S. cities, 1994-2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2001;50:440–444
  3. Valleroy LA, Mackellar DA, Karon JM, et al. HIV prevalence and associated risks in young men who have sex with men. JAMA. 2000;284:198–204
  4. Schwarcz SK, Kellogg TA, McFarland W, et al. Characterization of sexually-transmitted disease clinic patients with recent human immunodeficiency virus infection. J Infect Dis. 2002;186:1019–1022
  5. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Trends in HIV/AIDS diagnoses among men who have sex with men—33 states, 2001-2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008;57:681–686
  6. PHLS, DHSS & PS  and the Scottish ISD (D) 5 Collaborative Group. Trends in sexually-transmitted infections in the United Kingdom, 1990-1999. London, UK: Public Health Laboratory Service; 2000;
  7. Klausner JD, Kent CK, Wong W, et al. The public health response to epidemic syphilis, San Francisco, 1999-2004. Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32(Suppl.10):S11–S18
  8. Brunt LJ, Bukasa A, Davison KL, et al. Increase in recently-acquired syphilis infections in English, Welsh and Northern Irish blood donors. Vox Sang. 2007;93:14–26
  9. Dodds J, Nardonne A, Mercey D, et al. Increase in high-risk sexual behavior among homosexual men, London 1996-8: Cross-sectional, questionnaire study. BMJ. 2000;320:1510
  10. Leiss W, Tyshenko M, Krewski D. Men-having-sex-with-men donor-deferral risk assessment: An analysis using risk management principles. Transf Med Rev. 2008;22:35–57
  11. US Food and Drug Administration Workshop on Behavior-Based Donor Deferrals in the NAT Era. March 8-9, 2006; Lister Hill Auditorium National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.
  12. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) . Current trends in prevention of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS): Report of inter-agency recommendations. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1983;32:101–103
  13. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration . Revised recommendations for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by blood and blood products. Bethesda, MD: Food and Drug Administration; 1992;
  14. Soriano V, Dronda F, Gonzales-Lopez A, et al. HIV-1 causing AIDS and death in a seronegative individual. Vox Sang. 1994;67:410–411
  15. Coutlee F, Olivier C, Cassol S, et al. Absence of prolonged immunosilent infection with human immunodeficiency virus in individuals with high-risk behaviors. Am J Med. 1994;96:42–48
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Persistent lack of detectable HIV-1 antibody in a person with HIV infection — Utah, 1995. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1995;45:181–185
  17. Busch MP, Glynn SA, Stramer SL, et al. A new strategy for estimating risks of transfusion-transmitted viral infections based on rates of detection in recently-infected donors. Transfusion. 2005;45:254–264
  18. Busch MP, Lee LL, Satten GA, et al. Time-course of detection of viral and serological markers preceding HIV-1 seroconversion: Implications for blood and tissue donor screening. Transfusion. 1995;35:91–97
  19. AABB , America's Blood Centers , American Red Cross . Deferral policy regarding males who have had sex with males (MSM) (January 2008). Joint position statement. Available at: http://www.aabb.org/Content/News_and_Media/Statements/statement013108.htmLast accessed May 20, 2008
  20. Sanchez AM, Schreiber GB, Nass CC, et al. The impact of male-to-male sexual experience on risk-profiles of blood donors. Transfusion. 2005;45:404–413
  21. Ward JW, Kleinman SH, Douglas DK, et al. Epidemiologic characteristics of blood donors with antibody to human immunodeficiency virus. Transfusion. 1988;28:298–301
  22. Doll LS, Petersen LR, White CR, et al. Human immunodeficiency virus type-1–infected blood donors: Behavioral characteristics and reasons for donation. The HIV Blood Donor Study Group. Transfusion. 1991;31:704–709
  23. Lefrere JJ, Elghouzzi MH, Paquez F, et al. Interviews with anti-HIV–positive individuals detected through the systematic screening of blood donations: Consequences for predonation medical interview. Vox Sang. 1992;62:25–28
  24. Van der Bij AK, Coutinho RA, Van der Poel CL. Surveillance of risk profiles among new and repeat blood donors with transfusion-transmitted infections from 1995 through 2003 in the Netherlands. Transfusion. 2006;46:1729–1736
  25. American Medical Association . Report 5 of the Council on Science and Public Health (A-08): Revision of the lifetime deferral for blood donation of the men who have sex with men (MSM) population. June 20, 2008. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/print/18644.htmlLast accessed Jun 26 2008
  26. Rogers MF, Simmonds RJ, Lawton KE, et al. Guidelines for preventing transmission of human immunodeficiency virus through transplantation of human tissue and organs. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1994;43:1–17
  27. Stramer SL, Glynn SA, Kleinman SH, et al. Detection of HIV-1 and HCV infections among antibody-negative blood donors by nucleic-acid amplification testing. N Engl J Med. 2004;351:760–768
  28. Soldan K, Barbara JAJ, Ramsay ME, et al. Estimation of the risk of HBV, HCV and HIV infectious donations entering the blood supply in England, 1993-2001. Vox Sang. 2002;84:274–286
  29. Williams AE, Thomson RA, Schreiber GB, et al. Estimates of infectious disease risk factors in US blood donors. JAMA. 1997;277:967–972
  30. Wang B, Schreiber GB, Glynn SA, et al. Does prevalence of transfusion-transmitted viral infection reflect corresponding incidence in United States blood donors?. Transfusion. 2005;45:1089–1096
  31. Whitaker BK, Sullivan M. The 2005 Nationwide Blood Collection and Utilization Survey Report. Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services; 2006;
  32. Seed C, Lee J, Buring M, et al. Do prospective blood donors understand HCV and HIV risk factors? The Australian experience. Transfusion. 2002;42(Suppl.):72S;[abstract]
  33. Musto JA, Seed CR, Law M, et al. Estimating the risk of blood donation associated with HIV risk behaviors. Transfus Med. 2008;18:49–54
  34. Marrewijk CM, Velduijzen IK, Conyn van Spaendonck MA, et al. Prevalence of hepatitis B viral markers in the Dutch population: A population based surveillance study (Pienter Project). Report #243680001. Bilthoven: National Institute of Public Health and the Environment; 2000;
  35. Dayton AI. Deferral of MSM: Policy analysis. In: Presented at the 67th Meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration Blood Products Advisory Committee. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Gaithersburg (MD) September 14. 2000;Available at: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/00/transcripts/3649t1a.pdfLast accessed August 28, 2008
  36. Germain M, Remis RS, Delage G. The risks and benefits of accepting men who have had sex with men as blood donors. Transfusion. 2003;43:25–33
  37. Soldan K, Sinka K. Evaluation of the de-selection of men who have had sex with men from blood donation in England. Vox Sang. 2003;84:265–273
  38. Weber AE, Chan K, George C, et al. Risk factors associated with HIV infection among young gay and bisexual men in Canada. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2001;28:81–88
  39. Dodd RY, Notari EP, Stramer SL. Current prevalence and incidence of infectious disease markers and estimated window-period risk in the American Red Cross blood donor population. Transfusion. 2002;42:975–979
  40. O'Brien SF, Yi QL, Fan W, et al. Current incidence and estimated residual risk of transfusion-transmitted infections in donations made to Canadian Blood Services. Transfusion. 2007;47:316–325
  41. Martin JN. Diagnosis and epidemiology of human herpesvirus 8 infection. Semin Hematol. 2003;40:133–142
  42. Martin JN, Ganem DE, Osmond DH, et al. Sexual transmission and the natural history of human herpesvirus 8 infection. N Engl J Med. 1998;338:948–954
  43. Dukers NHTM. Risk factors for HHV-8 seropositivity and HHV-8 seroconversion in a cohort of homosexual men. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;151:213–214
  44. Martin JN, Osmond DH. Determining specific sexual practices associated with human herpesvirus 8 transmission. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;151:225–229
  45. Pellet P, Wright DJ, Engels EA, et al. Multicenter comparison of serologic assays and estimation of HHV-8 seroprevalance in US blood donors. Transfusion. 2003;43:1260–1268
  46. Operskalski EA, Busch MP, Mosley JW, et al. Blood donations and viruses. Lancet. 1997;349:1327
  47. Engels EA, Eastman H, Ablashi DV, et al. Risk of transfusion-associated transmission of human herpesvirus 8. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1999;91:1773–1775
  48. Dollard S, Nelson K, Ness P, et al. Possible (probable?) transmission of human herpesvirus 8 by blood transfusion in a historical US cohort. Transfusion. 2005;45:500–503
  49. Hladik W, Dollard SD, Mermin J, et al. Transmission of human herpes virus 8 by blood transfusions. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1331–1338
  50. Kumar N, McLean K, Inoue N, et al. Human herpesvirus 8 genoprevalence in populations at disparate risks of Kaposi's sarcoma. J Med Virol. 2007;79:52–59
  51. Blajchman MA, Vamvakas EC. The continuing risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:1303–1305
  52. Dodd RY. Human herpes virus 8: What (not) to do?. Transfusion. 2005;45:463–465
  53. Vamvakas EC, Tegtmeier GE. Herpes viruses. In:  Barbara JAJ,  Regan FAM,  Contreras MC editor. Transfusion Microbiology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2008;p. 35–58
  54. Regamey N, Tamm M, Wernli M, et al. Transmission of human herpesvirus 8 infection from renal-transplant donors to recipients. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1358–1363
  55. Wilson K, Wilson M, Hebert PC, et al. The application of the precautionary principle to the blood system: The Canadian blood system's vCJD donor deferral policy. Transfus Med Rev. 2003;17:89–94
  56. Llewellyn CA, Hewitt PR, Knight RS, et al. Possible transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by blood transfusion. Lancet. 2004;363:417–421
  57. Pincock S. Government confirms second case of vCJD transmitted by blood transfusion. BMJ. 2004;329:251
  58. Peden AH, Head MW, Ritchie DL, et al. Preclinical vCJD after blood transfusion in a PRNP codon 129 heterozygous patient. Lancet. 2004;364:527–529
  59. Pealer LN, Marfin AA, Petersen LR, et al. Transmission of West Nile virus through blood transfusion in the United States in 2002. N Engl J Med. 2003;349:1236–1245
  60. Collinge J, Whitfield J, McIntosh E, et al. Kuru in the 21st century—An acquired prion disease with very long incubation periods. Lancet. 2006;367:2068–2074
  61. McDonald CP, Blajchman MA. Bacterial contamination in blood and blood components. In:  Barbara JSJ,  Regan FAM,  Contreras MC editor. Transfusion Microbiology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 2008;p. 87–115
  62. Ness P, Braine N, King K, et al. Single-donor platelets reduce the risk of septic platelet transfusion reactions. Transfusion. 2001;41:857–861
  63. Murphy WG, Foley M, Doherty C, et al. Screening platelet concentrates for bacterial contamination: Low numbers of bacteria and slow growth in contaminated units mandate an alternate approach to product safety. Vox Sang. 2008;95:13–19
  64. Benjamin RJ, Wagner SJ. The residual risk of sepsis: Modeling the effect of concentration on bacterial detection in two-bottle culture systems and an estimation of false-negative culture rates. Transfusion. 2007;47:1381–1389
  65. Eder AF, Kennedy JM, Dy BA, et al. Bacterial screening of apheresis platelets and the residual risk of septic transfusion reactions: The American Red Cross experience (2004-2006). Transfusion. 2007;47:1134–1142
  66. FDA/CBER . Fatalities reported to the FDA following blood collection and transfusion. Annual summary for fiscal years 2005 and 2006. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/cber/blood/fatal0506.htmAccessed August 28, 2008
  67. Brooks JP. The rights of blood recipients should supersede any asserted rights of blood donors. Vox Sang. 2004;87:280–286
  68. Franklin IM. Is there a right to donate blood? Patient rights; donor responsibilities. Transfus Med. 2007;17:161–168
  69. Hrudey S, Leiss W. Risk management and precaution: Insights on the cautious use of evidence. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111:1577–1581

PII: S0887-7963(08)00111-9

doi: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2008.12.007

Transfusion Medicine Reviews
Volume 23, Issue 2 , Pages 85-102 , April 2009