Researches on viral hepatitis markers correlated with pathomorphological and clinical aspects in chronic hepatitis

A number of 112 patients hospitalized for chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were investigated. According to the results of the pathomorphological examinations of liver biopsies, 29 (25.8%) were cases of persistent chronic hepatitis (PCH), 39 (34.8%) cases of active chronic hepatitis (ACH), and 44 (39.2%) cases of liver cirrhosis. The prevalence of the female sex was observed in PCH (61.6%) and ACH (64.7%) cases, whereas in liver cirrhosis the sex distribution was more balanced (53.3% patients were males). The patients' mean age ranged from 34 to 38 years in PCH cases, from 44 to 46 years in ACH cases and from 50 to 57 years in liver cirrhosis. The postviral cirrhosis was three times more frequent in the female sex (77%), while the alcoholic and mixed cirrhoses (of an associated alcoholic and viral etiology) were prevalent in males (63.2%, respectively 72.2%). Serological tests for detection of the serological markers of hepatitis viruses B (HBV), C (HCV) and Delta (HDV) were performed for the purpose of studying the correlations between the pathomorphological findings and the viral markers. Among the 39 patients with ACH, HBV markers were detected in 13 cases (33.3%), anti-HCV antibodies in 10 (25.6%), and associated HBV-HCV, respectively HBV-HDV infections in 9 (23%) cases (6, respectively 3 patients). In the remaining 7 cases (17.9%) of ACH, there were no serological markers in the three hepatitis viruses. Of the 29 patients with PCH, 17 cases (58.6%) displayed HBV markers, 4 (13.7%) anti-HCV antibodies, in one patient (3.4%) an associated HBV-HCV infection was present, and in 7 patients (24.1%) markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified. Of the 44 patients with liver cirrhosis, HBV markers were detected in 17 cases (38.6%), anti-HCV antibodies in 9 (20.4%) and associated HBV-HCV and, respectively, HBV-HDV infections in 11 cases (25%) (9, respectively 2 cases). In 7 (15.9%) of the 44 patients with cirrhosis, markers of none of the three hepatitis viruses could be identified.