title: Etiology of sporadic hepatitis B surface antigen-negative hepatitis.
abstract: We studied serologically 45 adults who had sporadic acute viral hepatitis that was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative. Two cases were due to hepatitis B virus, as demonstrated by the appearance of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. In three other patients, the serologic pattern was inconclusive. Of 40 non-B cases, 20 were type A hepatitis and 20 were non-A, non-B hepatitis. Clinically, type A and non-A, non-B hepatitis were indistinguishable; one case of fulminant disease occurred in each group. The type A cases were more frequent in young adults; non-A, non-B disease predominated in women 35 years or older. Epidemiologic backgrounds were generally similar, including illicit self-injection; but four transfusion-associated cases were limited to the non-A, non-B group. We conclude that relatively few HBsG-negative cases are due to hepatitis B virus, and that hepatitis A virus and non-A, non-B viruses are both important in acute non-B disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007104:Immune Adherence Reaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens