Non-A, non-B hepatitis: positive and negative considerations on 138 cases

In 138 patients with NANB H no correlations were observed regarding types of exposure (PTH: 19.5%, DA: 18.1%, Sporadic cases: 62.4%), age groups and periods of incubation. Precipitin lines were detected assaying by ID and/or CEP onset and recovery sera with heterologous reference sera positive for Ab or Ag, respectively, or with autologous sera; "Ag"' was present during acute phase of illness, "Ab" appeared with decrease of aminotransferases, and in most cases seroconversion was observed in accord with clinical course. In few patients double precipitin lines were evidenced (heterogeneity of Ag?), while one patient reacted with all reference sera and many others with two/three sera (two NANB viruses or two Ag/Ab systems?). Tendency towards chronicity emerged in four cases, and in these Ag/Ab systems had a different behaviour.