Possibility of hepatitis B virus(HBV) removal from human plasma using regenerated cellulose hollow fiber(BMM).

Abstract

We intended to show the applicability of the regenerated cellulose hollow fiber (BMM) to the preparation of plasma products free from hepatitis B virus (HBV). In order to evaluate the HBV removability of BMM and to exclude the contribution of the heterogeneities of the hollow fibers which will affect the ability of BMM, two types of module (i.e. a S-module with its effective filtration area of 0.6 cm2 and a M-module with 300 cm2 or 500 cm2) were employed. The purified HBV particle were prepared from HBV positive plasma by rate zonal centrifugation method. The concentration of HBV particles in the samples were assayed by the spot hybridization method for HBV-DNA.The virus logarithmic rejection coefficient Φ for HBV was approximately expressed by the following empirical and reduced equations, Φ1 (exp) =7/ (2rf-15) for free HBV-DNA (empirical) Φ2=96/ (2rf-30) for HBV particles (reduced) where 2 rf was the mean pore diameter in nm unit obtained through the water filtration rate method.When HBV positive human plasma was filtered by M-module, the observed Φ value of HBV-DNA was always between Φ1 and Φ2, because of the free HBV-DNA in plasma and heterogeneities of the hollow fibers. The filtration rate was proportional to (2rf) 2/and was more than 3 l/m2· hr at the transmembrane pressure of 200 mmHg and the sieving coefficient of the total plasma protein was more than 90% when 2rf was larger than 30 nm.