HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF POSTTRANSFUSION NON-A-HEPATITIS, NON-B-HEPATITIS IN TAIWAN

Using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbant assay for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti‐HCV), serial serum samples from 26 non‐A, non‐B (NANB) posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH) patients were studied in a prospective study in Taiwan. Sixteen (61.5%) of the 26 patients were positive for anti‐HCV antibodies. Two of the 16 patients were positive for anti‐HCV before transfusion. The remaining 10 patients were negative for anti‐HCV antibodies. The rate of anti‐HCV seroconversion is, therefore, 58.5%. Of the 14 patients with anti‐HCV seroconversion, three were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers. The time of seroconversion for anti‐HCV ranges from 2 to 24 weeks after the first elevation of ALT (mean: of 8.7 weeks,) or 6–32 weeks from the date of transfusion (mean: 13 weeks). Twelve (85.7%) of the 14 anti‐HCV seroconverted patients had persistent abnormal ALT 6 months after the onset of hepatitis in contrast to 30% of chronicity in the anti‐HCV‐negative patients. The results suggest that HCV is the major causative agent in NANB PTH in Taiwan, and patients positive for anti‐HCV have a higher risk of chronicity. Copyright © 1990 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company