Hepatitis C virus infection in patients with chronic liver diseases

Antibodies against hepatitis C (HCV) in 512 patients were measured by an enzyme immunoassay (Ortho-HCV ELISA). The frequency of antiHCV was 80%, 86%, 85% in nonB (NB) chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis (LC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), respectively; 70%, 90% in alcoholic (AL) LC, HCC; 15%, 33%, 58% in hepatitis B (HB) CH, LC, HCC, respectively. Anti-HCV positive cirrhotics had a shorter survival time and earlier development of HCC than anti-HCV negative cirrhotics. The fndings suggest that HCV is a major cause of NB chronic liver diseases and may play a pathogenetic role in AL and HB liver diseases.