HEPATITIS C VIRUS ANTIBODIES AMONG CHRONIC LIVER DISEASES

Sera from 533 patients with chronic liver diseases were tested for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV).Anti-HCV were found in 69.8% of patients with chronic hepatitis, 63.9% with cirrhosis, and 80.6% with hepatocellular carcinoma. A higher prevalence of antibody was detected in patients with a history of blood transfusion.In 18.1% of patients with clinically diagnosed alcoholic liver injury, anti-HCV were detected. Only one of 10 patients histologically diagnosed as having alcoholic liver injury was anti-HCV seropositive.Ant-HCV were detected in 3 of 11 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, but two had a history of blood transfusion.Anti-HCV were not detected in patients with autoimmune hepatitis during steroid treatment, nor in patients with fatty liver or asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers.