Long-term clinical follow-up of non-A, non-B post-transfusional chronic hepatitis

OBJECTIVESTo study the natural history of non-A, non-B post-transfusional chronic hepatitis. DESIGN AND SETTINGA prospective study in a university hospital. PATIENTSThe study included 63 patients with non-A, non-B post-transfusional chronic hepatitis who were followed up over 106.8 pM 24.5 months after the acute stage of the disease. MEASUREMENTSWe examined the relationship between the clinical and analytical parameters at baseline, during follow-up and their subsequent evolution. RESULTSOf the patients studied, 56 were seropositive for anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV). During follow-up, liver biochemistry became permanently normal in 13 patients (group 1). In 37 patients, high alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were maintained with no clinical, biochemical or ultrasound evidence of progression (group II), while 13 patients did show evidence of progression (group III). In the patients from group III, the mean levels of ALT, AST, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and γ-globulin were significantly higher than those in group II (P