[Acute icteric viral hepatitis type A, B, D and non-A non-B. Etiologic, clinical and developmental aspects in the young man. Apropos of 423 cases]. / Hépatites virales aiguës ictérigènes A, B, D et non-A non-B Aspects étiologiques, cliniques et évolutifs chez l'homme jeune. A propos de 423 cas.

In the light of the present serological tests, the etiology, clinical features and course of acute viral hepatitis were reviewed in 423 consecutive male patients. Follow-up started less than 15 days after the onset of jaundice and continued until recovery or for at least six months if recovery did not occur before them. The incidence of type A viral hepatitis decreased in France but remained high in North Africa and tropical areas. During the acute phase it differed from hepatitis type B by a lower aminotransferase level. Relapse, however, was more common, as was protraction of longer than six months. Recovery ultimately occurred. The specific IgM antibody persisted throughout the condition. Type B hepatitis differed from type A hepatitis by a mean quicker normalization of the biochemical disturbances. In the absence of superinfection by delta hepatitis virus or by a non-A, non-B virus, the progression to chronic liver disease was rare. The course of non-A, non-B hepatitis was very dissimilar according to the circumstances of occurrence. In epidemic cases rapid recovery occurred and no progression to chronicity was noted. In the other cases, relapse and chronicity were more frequent than for type A or B hepatitis. Type D hepatitis was characterized by more pronounced biochemical disturbances during the acute phase and by more frequent progression to chronicity in case of superinfection.

[Acute epidemic non-A, non-B hepatitis: clinical study of 38 cases seen in Chad]. / Hépatite aiguë non-A, non-B épidémique: étude clinique de 38 cas observés au Tchad.

An epidemic of acute non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH), observed in 38 young French soldiers in Chad, presumed to be waterborne, allowed to describe the clinical picture of the disease. The main features of this entity were compared with those observed during previously described outbreaks of waterborne NANBH encountered in North Africa and in Asia as well as with 85 cases of viral type A hepatitis of various other geographical origins, observed during the same period of time. Similarities between the clinical features of the disease within every water-transmitted NANBH epidemic center were suggestive of a particular nosologic entity among the non-parenterally transmitted cases of NANBH. In young male subjects, the course of the disease proved to be milder than that of type A viral hepatitis. A 5 ml dose of non-specific French-prepared human immunoglobulins had no prophylactic effects on the disease.