PURPOSE: To investigate discarded corneas due to positive serologic tests in donors from the Hospital São Paulo Eye Bank (BOHSP) during a two-year period. METHODS: Retrospective study of records from cornea donors between January 2006 and December 2007. Information such as serologic test results (Hepatitis B, C, and HIV), source of corneal tissue, donor's gender and age were tested for correlation. RESULTS: 902 corneas were processed by BOHSP; 12.9% (116) were discarded due to donor's positive test for hepatitis B, C, or HIV; 20.5% (185) were also discarded due to inconclusive result of serological tests; percentage of corneas discarded due to positive or inconclusive serological tests during this period was 33.4% (301). CONCLUSION: This study confirms the importance of serological tests in order to prevent disease transmission to corneal transplant recipients. However, new tests are necessary to decrease the number of inconclusive tests and decrease the number of discarded corneas.
Eye banks; Eye infections, viral; Cornea; Corneal transplantation; Serology; Hepatitis C; Tissue donors
