A Study on Mixed Infection of Hepatitis Viruses A and B in Fulminant Hepatitis / 第三军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Anti-HAV-IgM, anti-HBc-IgM, and three antibody systems of hepatitis B were tested in 48 patients with fulminant hepatitis to determine which of the hepatitis viruses A and B was the causative agent. HBV was found in 31 cases, HAV in one case, mixed infection of HBV and HAV in 15 cases (31.25%),and uncertain agent in 1 case.Ten cases out of the 15 with mixed infection were subacute, and the other 5 chronic. 13 patients were male and 2 female. The age of the patients ranged from 15 to 49 years with an average of 30.39. The clinical conditions of 10 cases became more serious and some of them even died during hospitalization. The clinical and biochemical parameters of the patients with mixed infection showed no statistical difference from those of the patients with single infection of either HBV or HAV of the same time period. 7 patients complained of sudden aggravation of their clinical conditions after they exhibited a group of symptoms and signs of "acute icteric hepatitis". One such case was found during his hospitalization and his anti-HAV-IgM turned positive at the same time. This patient died eventually.It is considered that aggravation of acute or chronic hepatitis can be resulted from superinfection and this problem deserves close attention.