title: Effect of concurrent acute infection with hepatitis C virus on acute hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible interference with acute hepatitis B virus infection by co-infection with hepatitis C virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of stored sera collected for transfusion transmitted viruses study in 1970s.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four major medical centres in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 recipients of blood infected with hepatitis B virus.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1970s, presence of antibodies in hepatitis B virus and raised serum alanine aminotransferase concentration; detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus with new enzyme linked immunoassays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five of the 12 patients were coinfected with hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B surface antigen was first detected at day 59 in patients infected with hepatitis B virus alone and at day 97 in those coinfected with hepatitis C virus (p = 0.01); median durations of antigenaemia were 83 and 21 days respectively (p = 0.05), and the antigen concentration was lower in the coinfected patients. Alanine aminotransferase patterns were uniphasic when hepatitis B virus infection occurred alone (range 479-2465 IU/l) and biphasic in patients with combined acute infection (no value > 380 IU/l; p = 0.0025). Four coinfected recipients developed chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The fifth patient was followed for only four months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute coinfection with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus inhibits hepatitis B virus infection in humans, and onset of hepatitis B may reduce the severity of hepatitis C virus infection but not frequency of chronicity. Alanine aminotransferase concentration showed a biphasic pattern in dual infection.
authors.affiliation: Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois.
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Mimms
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mosley
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hollinger
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Aach
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vallari
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nemo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase