Thu Jan 3, 2008 3:51 am (PST)
Hepatitis viruses detected in four more Green Cross blood
productshttp://www.japantimes.co.jpKyodo News
A forensic doctor has detected hepatitis viruses in four kinds of blood
products that are not covered in a series of damages suits filed by people who
contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood-clotting agents, the doctor and other
medical sources said Friday.
The four are immunoglobulin, haptoglobin, plasmin and cholinesterase blood
products made in the 1970s and 1980s by now-defunct drug maker Green Cross
Corp., which is now part of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.
Immunoglobulin is a drug to combat measles, while haptoglobin is an
antihemolytic anemia agent. Plasmin is a blood solvent and cholinesterase is
effective for repairing nerve connection damage.
Tatsuo Nagai, a professor emeritus at Kitasato University in Kanagawa
Prefecture, detected the viruses after analyzing protein materials and gene
information contained in the blood products, which he had obtained from Green
Cross.
Nagai detected the hepatitis C virus from immunoglobulin made in 1977, and the
hepatitis B virus from haptoglobin made in 1976 and 1987, plasmin made in 1976
and cholinesterase made in 1977, the sources said.
Both hepatitis B and C viruses were found in haptoglobin made in 1976.
Nagai said he worries about a possible outbreak of hepatitis caused by those
products on top of the outbreak due to the fibrinogen and christmassin covered
in the lawsuits.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has already instructed drugmakers to
check whether there are patients who contracted hepatitis through blood products
other than fibrinogen and christmassin.
Health minister Yoichi Masuzoe told a news conference Friday that his ministry
has filed an inquiry with Nagai about his research but has yet to receive a
reply.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/news/newsRev/2007/NewsRev-237.html#_Hepatitis_viruses\
_detected


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