Hepatitis C virus antibodies in acute icteric and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. |
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| Authors: | J G McHutchison G Kuo M Houghton Q L Choo A G Redeker |
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| Affiliation: | Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles. |
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| Abstract: | Hepatitis C virus antibodies were measured in 213 patients who had acute (n = 122) and chronic (n = 91) non-A, non-B hepatitis. In acute infection, anti-hepatitis C virus was detected in 61% of IV drug abusers, in 33% of patients with transfusion-associated hepatitis, and in 22% of patients with sporadic infections (P less than 0.0005, drug abusers vs. sporadic). Mean time to seroconversion was 11.6 weeks (range, 1-80 weeks). Anti-hepatitis C virus was more common in chronic infection (P less than 0.001) and was more often detected in IV drug users (89%; P less than 0.0001) and after transfusion (71%; P less than 0.005) compared with chronic sporadic infection (27%). Antibody persisted for up to 8 years. Six chronic case patients (8.3%) later lost antibody (mean, 24 months; range, 12-48 months). |
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