[Long-term course of sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis: a biochemical, immunologic and histologic follow-up study]

36 patients with acute sporadic non-A, non-B viral hepatitis were prospectively followed up. Study parameters included biochemical and immunological (hepatitis A/B) data, histology of the acute and chronic stage of the disease and immunohistology for hepatitis B markers. The mean follow-up period for the patients with complete remission was 8.5 months, and 30.5 months for the patients with progression to chronic liver disease. 13 (36%) patients developed histologically confirmed chronic hepatitis (6 CPH, 7 CAH). In the chronic stage of the disease, the transaminases showed a markedly fluctuating course in 8 of the 13 patients. Two of the 6 patients with CPH showed complete remission after 25 and 58 months respectively; in the 4 others the disease remained unchanged. In the 7 patients with CAH no remission occurred, but in 2 patients complete cirrhotic transformation of the liver was demonstrated after 36 and 38 months respectively. Hence the prognosis of chronic sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis seems to be worse than the prognosis of chronic posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis.