title: Clinical, epidemiological and prognostic aspects of hepatitis "non-A, non-B"--a comparison with hepatitis A and B.
abstract: Sera of 480 hospitalized hepatitis patients were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) and anti-HAV of IgM-class. Serological markers indicating hepatitis A infection were found in 107 (22.3%) and markers indicating hepatitis B in 297 patients (61.9%), while 63 patients (13.1%) were classified as hepatitis type "non-A, non-B". The latter group mainly comprised drug addicts (50.8%), cases of post-transfusion hepatitis (11.1%) and patients without obvious hepatitis exposure (28.6%). In spite of these epidemiological similarities to hepatitis B, the maximum levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin were comparable to those in patients with hepatitis A and significantly lower than in hepatitis B infection. Chronic hepatitis developed in 7.1% of the "non-A, non-B" patients, a figure close to that reported for hepatitis B.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin