Premium
Minimal role of hepatitis C virus infection in childhood liver diseases in an area hyperendemic for hepatitis B infection
Author(s) -
Chang MeiHwei,
Lee ChinYun,
Chen DingShinn
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890400411
Subject(s) - fulminant hepatitis , medicine , hbsag , fulminant , hepatocellular carcinoma , liver disease , hepatitis , hepatitis c virus , hepatitis b , neonatal hepatitis , immunology , hepatitis b virus , virology , viral disease , jaundice , virus , biliary atresia , liver transplantation , transplantation
To investigate the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in childhood liver disease in Taiwan, an area hyperendemic for hepatitis B, we studied antibody to HCV (anti‐HCV) with a second generation enzyme immunoassay in 195 infants and children, including 96 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive children (66 with chronic hepatitis B, 23 children with hepatocellular carcinoma, and 7 with fulminant hepatitis B), 6 children with fulminant non‐A, non‐B hepatitis, 42 infants with neonatal hepatitis, 11 with biliary atresia, and 40 prospectively followed blood recipients. For comparison, another 748 apparently healthy children (from neonates to 12 years) were also screened for anti‐HCV. The positive rate of anti‐HCV was low in both apparently healthy children (0.13%) and patients with various liver disorders (0 to 4.4%) except fulminant hepatitis. The seropositive rate in 6 cases of non‐A, non‐B fulminant hepatitis was higher (16.7%) although the case number was too small. We conclude that HCV is generally not a major etiologic factor in the liver diseases of Taiwanese children. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.