Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with acute hepatitis B |
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Authors: | M. Rodríguez M. D. Carmen A. Navascués M. D. A. Suárez M. D. N. G. Sotorrio M. D. A. Linares M. D. R. Pérez Ph. D. L. Rodrigo Ph. D. Ana Martínez M. D. R. Cimadevilla M. D. |
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Affiliation: | Gastroenterology Unit, Hospital Covadonga, Oviedo, Spain. |
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Abstract: | The prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) was studied using a second-generation ELISA test in 121 patients with self-limiting acute hepatitis B, including 63 intravenous drug addicts (IVDA). Within the first month after the onset of illness, 47.1% of the patients were anti-HCV positive, this figure reaching 52.1% six months later. The prevalence in the sixth month was significantly higher in the IVDA (93.6%) than in the non-IVDA (6.9%) (p < 0.00001). Among the IVDA, anti-HCV was more frequent in those with (100%) than in those without hepatitis delta virus (HDV) coinfection (84.6%) (p = 0.004). Of the 63 anti-HCV positive patients, 36 (57.1%) continued to exhibit abnormal transaminase levels for more than six months, while this was not observed in anti-HCV negative patients. These results show a high prevalence of infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) in IVDA with acute B hepatitis. As a rule, infection by HCV occurred prior to the hepatitis B infection, although occasionally simultaneous infections were observed. HCV appears to be the agent responsible for chronic liver disease in patients with acute B hepatitis who become HBsAg negative. |
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