title: Contribution of hepatitis C virus to non-A, non-B fulminant hepatitis in Japan.
abstract: To assess the contribution of hepatitis C virus to non-A, non-B fulminant hepatitis in Japan, we compared 10 major clinical features among 7 patients with type B fulminant hepatitis (type B group), 13 patients with non-A, non-B fulminant hepatitis with evidence of hepatitis C virus infection (type C group) and 10 patients without evidence of hepatitis C virus infection (NANB group). Duration from first symptom to coma and that from onset of jaundice to coma was significantly longer in the type C group (median = 39 and 25 days, respectively) and in the non-A, non-B group (median = 29 and 12 days, respectively) than in the type B group (median = 9 and 2 days, respectively) (p < 0.01). The maximum median AST level was significantly lower in the type C (1,689 U/L) and non-A, non-B groups (1,353 U/L) than in the type B group (5,780 U/L) (p < 0.05). Serum transaminase levels showed a single peak in six of seven of the type B patients, whereas they formed two or more peaks in all of the type C patients and in most of the non-A, non-B group (p < 0.05). Six of seven in the type B group, 6 of 13 in the type C group and 4 of 10 in the non-A, non-B group survived (p < 0.05). We found no significant difference in any of the 10 clinical features between the type C and non-A, non-B groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Yokohama City, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshiba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dehara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mayumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase