[Hepatitis non-A, non-B: epidemiological significance in acute viral hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis of hepatological consultation]

Abstract

157 acute viral hepatitis and 60 chronic active ones have been analyzed focusing on NANB etiology. HAV was implicated in 36.3% of the hole acute viral hepatitis sample, HBV in 29.3%, and HNANBV was presumed as etiology in 31.2%, 5 patients (3.2%) had acute infection by HAV, on previous one by HBV, except for Epstein-Barr virus, no other test for viruses were determined (CMV, HSV, etc.). Male/female ratio was 1.4:1, 1.9:1, and 1.4:1 for HAV, HBV and HNANBV acute hepatitis respectively; HAV was the main etiology in the 0-9 age group (72.2%) although it only represents 11.5% of the sample; small occurrence of HAV hepatitis were found in patients over 40 (8.8%); HBV was clearly prevalent in patients over 50 (65.2%); the highest concentration of NANB etiology was found between 20-39 years old, but it was represented in all age-groups. Out of 49 NANB acute hepatitis, 12.2% had related transfusional antecedents, 12.2% belonged to health care worker group, and 4.1% had a close family NANB hepatitis contact; 71.5% had no reported antecedent. Viral source was presumably implicated in 75.0% of chronic active hepatitis, 25.0% attributable to HNANBV. Results seem not feasible to transfer to general population due to the facts that most patients were of specialized consult, and pediatric assistance is unusual to the authors practice.