title: Antibody to the hepatitis C virus in acute hepatitis and chronic liver diseases in Japan.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Japanese Red Cross Central Blood Center, Tokyo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishioka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Q L
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Choo
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens