title: Evidence of non-A, non-B, non-C infection in chronic hepatitis by polymerase chain reaction testing for hepatitis B and C viruses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although hepatitis C virus is clearly the major cause of non-A, non-B acute and chronic hepatitis, there is a group of patients with histologically documented chronic hepatitis with no serological marker of hepatitis B and C, nor any other risk factors for liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have investigated 17 well-characterized patients with chronic active hepatitis. HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA were tested by polymerase chain reaction in 17 serum samples and in six liver biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the 17 patients had serum HCV-RNA detectable by polymerase chain reaction, while none had HBV-DNA detectable by polymerase chain reaction. Three of the six liver samples gave a positive signal by cyclin A and HLA, and only these were considered for the study. One of the three was HCV-RNA positive, while none was HBV-DNA positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results, obtained through careful elimination of all known risk factors for liver disease, strongly suggest that non-A, non-B, non-C hepatotropic virus(es) could be involved in some cases of chronic active liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Romeo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pol
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demeret
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thiers
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kremsdorf
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cuillerier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brechot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral