Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with acute hepatitis B.
The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was studied using a second-generation ELISA test in 121 patients with self-limiting acute hepatitis B, including 63 intravenous drug addicts (IVDA). Within the first month after the onset of illness, 47.1% of the patients were anti-HCV positive, this figure reaching 52.1% six months later. The prevalence in the sixth month was significantly higher in the IVDA (93.6%) than in the non-IVDA (6.9%) (p < 0.00001). Among the IVDA, anti-HCV was more frequent in those with (100%) than in those without hepatitis delta virus (HDV) coinfection (84.6%) (p = 0.004). Of the 63 anti-HCV positive patients, 36 (57.1%) continued to exhibit abnormal transaminase levels for more than six months, while this was not observed in anti-HCV negative patients. These results show a high prevalence of infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) in IVDA with acute B hepatitis. As a rule, infection by HCV occurred prior to the hepatitis B infection, although occasionally simultaneous infections were observed. HCV appears to be the agent responsible for chronic liver disease in patients with acute B hepatitis who become HBsAg negative.
Rodríguez
M
M
Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital Covadonga, Oviedo, Spain.
Navascués
C A
CA
Martínez
A
A
Suárez
A
A
Sotorrío
N G
NG
Cimadevilla
R
R
Linares
A
A
Pérez
R
R
Rodrigo
L
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000410:Alanine Transaminase