Antibody to the hepatitis C virus in acute hepatitis and chronic liver diseases in Japan.
In a 6-month follow-up study of acute hepatitis in Japan, 31 out of 41 (75.6%) cases of post-transfusion non-A and non-B hepatitis (NANB-PTH) and 14 out of 40 (35.0%) cases of sporadic non-A non-B hepatitis (NANB-SPO) were found to be positive for antibody to the hepatitis C virus (HCVAb). After 12 months of follow-up, 30 cases (81.1%) became chronic among 37 HCVAb positive acute NANB hepatitis cases. This figure shows a significantly higher rate of chronicity as compared with HCVAb negative acute NANB hepatitis. The prevalences of HCVAb in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative cases of chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were 76.3% (200/262) and 66.7% (106/159), respectively, which were significantly different from the values of 5.1% (13/255) and 10.6% (13/123) observed in HBsAg positive cases. Of chronic liver disease cases positive for HCVAb, 45.8% (152/332) had a history of blood transfusion, in contrast to the value of 3.7% (13/352) observed in HBsAg positive cases of chronic liver disease that were negative for HCVAb.
Nishioka
K
K
Japanese Red Cross Central Blood Center, Tokyo.
Watanabe
J
J
Furuta
S
S
Tanaka
E
E
Suzuki
H
H
Iino
S
S
Tsuji
T
T
Yano
M
M
Kuo
G
G
Choo
Q L
QL
D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens