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Comparison of clinical, virologic and pathologic features in patients with acute hepatitis B and C
Author(s) -
Chu ChenWei,
Hwang ShinnJang,
Luo JiingChyuan,
Wang YuanJen,
Lu ReiHwa,
Lai ChiungRu,
Tsay ShyhHaw,
Wu JawChing,
Chang FullYoung,
Lee ShouDong
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1746.2001.02422.x
Subject(s) - medicine , gastroenterology , jaundice , alanine transaminase , hepatitis , aspartate transaminase , viral hepatitis , hepatitis b , elevated transaminases , immunology , biochemistry , chemistry , alkaline phosphatase , enzyme
Background and Aims: The clinical outcomes of adult‐acquired acute infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are quite different. In order to compare the clinical, biochemical, virologic and pathologic pictures in these two groups of patients, we enrolled 22 adult patients with acute hepatitis C and 16 adult patients with acute hepatitis B, on whom liver biopsies were performed within 3 months of acute onset of the illness. Results: The results showed that a significantly younger age, a higher ratio of the clinical symptoms of jaundice, nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite, a higher mean serum level of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and total bilirubin were present in patients with acute hepatitis B patients than in those with acute hepatitis C ( P < 0.05). There was a significantly higher degree of periportal inflammation and total necro‐inflammatory activity in the acute hepatitis B patients ( P = 0.002 and 0.049, respectively). Fifteen (68.2%) of the 22 patients with acute hepatitis C had detectable serum HCV‐RNA, but only two (14.3%) of the 14 tested patients with acute hepatitis B had detectable serum HBV‐DNA, detected by using the branched DNA signal amplification assay. Eighteen (82%) of the 22 acute hepatitis C patients and none of the 16 acute hepatitis B patients progressed into a chronic hepatitis stage ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: The manifestations of mild clinical symptoms, lower mean serum transaminases and bilirubin levels, a lesser degree of histological periportal necroinflammation, and more patients with a high circulatory viral load among the acute hepatitis C patients, may lead to more of that group developing chronicity than patients with acute hepatitis B.