No link exists between blood transfusion and sporadic CJD

Potential blood transmission of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease has been a concern in several countries. Current evidence suggests that no link exists between blood transfusion and development of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. On p 17, Wilson et al report a systematic review in which they summarise the results from five case-control studies (involving 2479 patients) examining the risk of developing sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from blood transfusions. They found no evidence that blood transfusions are a risk factor. Indeed, patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease were less likely to have received blood transfusions than controls, suggesting a protective effect of transfusions. This apparently spurious result shows the potential for bias in case-control studies and illustrates the need for caution in the interpretation of such studies examining the risk of developing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from blood transfusion.

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Relevant Article

Risk of acquiring Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from blood transfusions: systematic review of case-control studies

Kumanan Wilson, Catherine Code, and Maura N Ricketts
BMJ 2000 321: 17-19. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]