title: [Hepatitis C antibodies in acute Non-A, Non-B hepatitis].
abstract: Stored serum samples of 20 patients with clinically and bioptically proven non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) in the acute stage were tested for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) by means of the Ortho ELISA system. After a mean period of 8 weeks from onset of the disease, 8 of 20 patients (40%) had anti-HCV. Our follow-up study included 14 patients. Of 9 primarily anti-HCV-negative patients, 2 became positive after 2 and 7 months respectively, whereas 7 patients remained anti-HCV-negative up to 52 months (range 1-128) after the onset of hepatitis. The prevalence of anti-HCV was 71% in 7 patients with parenteral hepatitis related to transfusions (n = 2) or drug abuse (n = 5), and 38% in 13 patients with sporadic NANBH. Of the 8 anti-HCV-negative patients with sporadic NANBH, 5 had stayed in one of the countries where enterically transmitted NANBH is endemic 3 to 6 weeks before the onset of their disease. Our results show that at present the anti-HCV-test supplies an etiologic basis for approximately half of all cases of NANBH in acute stage. Nevertheless, in most cases the acute NANBH remains a diagnosis of exclusion.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik, Stadtspital Waid, Zürich.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zellweger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Havelka
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altorfer
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Joller-Jemelka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bühler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies
vernacular_title: Hepatitis-C-Antikörper bei akuter Non-A-non-B-Hepatitis.