Epidemiological characteristics, risk factors, and clinical manifestationsof acute non-A-E hepatitis

A substantial proportion of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis was of unknown eti ology and was termed non-A-E hepatitis. Analysis of the clinical features i s needed while attempting to identify the causative agent(s). In this study , the clinical and biochemical features of 53 patients who were admitted to hospital with acute non-A-E hepatitis were compared with a cohort of patie nts with acute hepatitis C (n=70) and E (n=5). In acute non-A-E hepatitis, the sex ratio was 34:19, and ages ranged from 21 to 76 years (median 49). B iochemical tests [median (range)] revealed albumin 3.6 (2.2-4.4) g/dl, AST 714 (193-2311) U/I, ALT 896 (310-3,000) U/I, bilirubin 11.2 (0.9-36.3) mg/d l,and prothrombintime > 1.1 (0-11.5) seconds. No patients reported parenter al exposures or household contact. Forty-five percent had severe hepatitis (i.e., albumin <3 g/dl, bilirubin > 15 mg/dl or prothrombin time > 3 sec), including 3% with fulminant hepatitis. Chronic evolution was noted in 7%. T hese features were similar to those of hepatitis C or E, except for a signi ficantly high frequency of parenteral exposures (20%), household contact (1 6%), and chronicity (70%) in hepatitis C. In conclusion, there is no obviou s parenteral risk factor identified in acute non-A-E hepatitis. Clinical se verity is similar to that of hepatitis C at least in hospitalized patients, but the rate of chronic evolution is much lower. (C) 2001Wiley-Liss, Inc.