Hepatitis type C virus infection in patients with type B chronic liver disease.
Anti-c100-3 (Ortho) was determined in the sera of 152 patients with HBs antigen-positive chronic liver diseases to assess coinfection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Eleven patients (7.2%) were positive for anti-c100-3. Anti-CP-9 (Okamoto) and HCV-RNA (RT-PCR) were also examined in these 11 patients. Anti-CP-9 was detected in 7 patients and HCV-RNA was detected in all 11 patients. Four of the 11 anti-c100-3-positive patients were positive for HBe antigen (HBeAg) and others were negative. In 8 of the 11 patients, HCV was suspected to be superinfected by blood transfusion. In HBeAg-positive patients, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) was elevated in relation to active replication of HBV shown by DNA-polymerase activity. The histological findings showed chronic active hepatitis, with or without cirrhosis. On the other hand, in HBeAg-negative patients, SGPT fluctuated without evidence of active replication of HBV. Active inflammation in the liver was observed in 3 of 5 HBeAg-negative patients by liver biopsy. These findings suggest that HBV might play an important role in chronic active inflammation in HBeAg-positive patients coinfected with HCV, and that HCV might be responsible for continuous inflammation in HBeAg-negative patients coinfected with HCV.
Doi
T
T
First Department of Internal Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Yamada
G
G
Endo
H
H
Nishimoto
H
H
Takahashi
M
M
Miyamoto
R
R
Fujiki
S
S
Shimomura
H
H
Mizuno
M
M
Tsuji
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C078224:anti-C100-3; C078223:anti-CP-9; D000410:Alanine Transaminase