| Research Abstract |
We have tried to detect the virus(es) in the hepatocytes arid lymphocytes of primary culture after being obtained from patients with non-A,non-B hepatitis. However, until now we could not find any responsible agent by this method. In 1989, Choo et al and Kue et al in Chiron Co. research group diicceeded to isolate the gene product of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and established an assay system for circulating antibody to HCV. Using the ELISA test kit provided by Ortho Diagnostic System Co., iwe tested anti-HCV antibody in sera of patients with acute and chronic liver diseases of non-A,non-B type. Anti-HCV antibody vas positive in 44 % of acute sporadic non-A,non-B hepatitis, in 62 % of posttransfusion non-A,non-B hepatitis, in 76 % of chronic hepatitis of non-A,non-B type, in 64 %"of liver cirrhosis and 70 % of hepatocellular carcinoma of non-A,non-B type respectively: To the contrary, in type B hepatitis and cirrhosis, this antibody vas detected only in less than 5 %.
Among the patients with non-A,non-B acute hepatitis, anti-HCV positive cases had a significantly higher tendency to chronicity as compared with anti-HCV negative cases. All 15 cases of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of,.posttransfusion etiology who developed finally hepatocellular carcinoma were positive for anti-HCV, indicating that there is a intimate relationship between persistent HCV infection and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Regarding to the response to interferon administration in non-A,non-B chronic hepatitis, serum beta 2 microglobulin level was much less elevated and intrahepatic expression of HLA class 1 antigen was much weaker as compared with those in chronic hepatitis type B. However, intralobular infiltrating lymphocytes decreased much more significantly in grade after interferon administration as compared to that in chronic hepatitis of type B, suggesting that there are differences of therapeutic responses to interferon between non-A,non-B hepatitis and type B hepatitis.
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