Investigation of sporadic hepatitis E in Guangzhou City

To identify the etiology of non-A,non-B,non-C hepatitis,23 such patients succes-sively admitted in our hospital during 1988～1992 were investigated using an enzyme immunoas-say kit with two recombinant hepatitis E virus(HEV)antigens from Genelabs(Redwood City,CA.USA).Anti-HEV-IgG was detected in 18 cases of them.The disease was diagnosed as hep-atitis E.All 18 patients were Guangzhou residents.This is one of the first reports on the pres-ence of sporadic hepatitis E in a metropolis beyond the endemic areas.The present observationshowed that sporadic hepatitis E occurred out of season and was unlike the epidemic form in Xin-jiang.Fifteen of 18 patients aged from 20 to 50 years,suggesting that it usually prevailed amongthe young-to-middle-aged adults.The ratio of male to female was 14 to 4.The ratio of icterictype to anicteric type was 16 to 2.The jaundice of 16 icteric patients disappeared in 24.6 days(range,14～60 days).The average alanine aminotransferase level was 806 IU/L(range,74～1676 IU/L),which declined to normal in 30.4 days(range,19～77 days).All patients recov-ered completely in 4.7 weeks.This report also indicated that the course of sporadic hepatitis E,as of epidemic form,is self-limiting and has no chronic sequelae.