Acute non A-E hepatitis in eastern Sicily: the natural history and the role of hepatitis G virus.
BACKGROUND
The etiology and the natural history of acute non A-E hepatitis is still undefined.


METHODS
We examined the prevalence of HGV viraemia and the long-term outcome in 54 patients with non A-E acute hepatitis.


RESULTS
HGV-RNA was found in 19 out of 54 (35%) patients. There was no difference between HGV-RNA positives and negatives in terms of age sex, parenteral risk factors and alanine amino-transferase peak level. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels were higher in the HGV-RNA positive group. During a 3-year follow up, 10 out of 54 (18.5%) patients progressed to chronic hepatitis and 4 out of 10 (40%) had an histologically advanced disease. None of the 19 subjects infected with HGV showed a chronic evolution of liver disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results confirm the limited role of HGV as the etiological agent of non A-E acute hepatitis. The great majority of non A-E hepatitis cases are yet of undetermined origin and unfortunately, are characterized by a high rate of progression to chronic active hepatitis.
Cacopardo
B
B
Institute of Infectious Diseases, University of Catania, Italy.
Nunnari
G
G
Berger
A
A
Doer
H W
HW
Russo
R
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D029407:GB virus C; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology