From October to December 1970 all blood distributed by the Freiburg University blood center was screened for (Australia) Au antigen by three methods: immunodiffusion (ID), counterelectrophoresis (IEOP) and complement fixation test (CFT). The results are shown in Table 1.
Of 2,583 sera tested there were 13 or 0.5% positive by ID, 18 or 0.7% by IEOP, and 4.7% positive by CFT. Fifty-five recipients of blood containing Au antigen were examined for transaminase levels and for Au antigen at three weekly intervals for six months. Four icteric and two an
icteric hepatitides were observed among the 55 patients (10.9%). Australia antigenemia was detected during the observation period in 35 cases (63%) of recipients of Au antigen-positive blood. The Au antigenemia in the recipients generally showed a higher titer as detected by CFT than the blood which was transfused initially.
The relationship between the titer of the innoculated Au antigen-positive blood