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Anti-c100-3 (Ortho) was determined in the sera of 152 patients with HBs antigen-positive chronic liver diseases to assess coinfection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Eleven patients (7.2%) were positive for anti-c100-3. Anti-CP-9 (Okamoto) and HCV-RNA (RT-PCR) were also examined in these 11 patients. Anti-CP-9 was detected in 7 patients and HCV-RNA was detected in all 11 patients. Four of the 11 anti-c100-3-positive patients were positive for HBe antigen (HBeAg) and others were negative. In 8 of the 11 patients, HCV was suspected to be superinfected by blood transfusion. In HBeAgpositive patients, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) was elevated in relation to active replication of HBV shown by DNA-polymerase activity. The histological findings showed chronic active hepatitis, with or without cirrhosis. On the other hand, in HBeAg-negative patients, SGPT fluctuated without evidence of active replication of HBV. Active inflammation in the liver was observed in 3 of 5 HBeAg-negative patients by liver biopsy. These findings suggest that HBV might play an important role in chronic active inflammation in HBeAg-positive patients coinfected with HCV, and that HCV might be responsible for continuous inflammation in HBeAg-negative patients coinfected with HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify intrafamilial transmission of hepatitis C virus, we tested for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in serum samples of 160 family members (12 parents, 17 siblings, 73 children, and 58 spouses) of 76 index patients with chronic hepatitis C. Anti-HCV was detected in 14 of 160 family members (8.75%). This positive rate was significantly higher than the anti-HCV-positive rate in age-matched volunteer blood donors in our district (8.75% vs. 1.42%; P<0.01). Among 14 members, 5 had normal liver function tests and 9 had hepatitis C. In 4 of 73 children, anti-HCV was detected (5.48% vs. 0.55%; P<0.01). In the two children, transmission from mother to child in their childhood was suspected, and in the other children, transmission was from father to child. Furthermore, 7 of 58 spouses (12.1%) had anti-HCV (12.1% vs. 2.13%; P<0.01). These results suggest that intrafamilial transmission, especially horizontal infection may play an important role in the spread of hepatitis C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]