THE INTERACTION BETWEEN HEPATITIS-B VIRUS AND HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE

Infections by the hepatitis B or C virus are extremely common causes o f acute and chronic liver disease, and coexistence of the two viruses in the same patient is not rare. Evidence has been found that such int eraction may play an important role in fulminant hepatitis and in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients. Liver d isease activity and prognosis have been reported to be generally more serious in the presence of double infection, although an inverse relat ionship in the replicative levels of the two agents has been noted, su ggesting viral interference, particularly in Cases of chronic hepatiti s. Thus, the two viruses seem to inhibit each other at the molecular l evel, while cytopathic effects appear to be enhanced. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of these apparently contrasting e ffects. (C) Journal of Hepatology.