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Etiological investigation of fatal liver failure during the course of chronic hepatitis B in southeast China

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Abstract

Background

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between patients who had fatal liver failure during the course of chronic hepatitis B and those who were also superinfected with hepatitis A, C, D, or E virus, as well as their hepatitis B virus e system status, so that suitable measures could be adopted to decrease the mortality of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Methods

This study detected superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D, or E virus and the hepatitis B virus e system status in cases of fatal liver failure during the course of chronic hepatitis B by enzyme-lined immunosorbent assay.

Results

The frequency of superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D, and E virus was 1.4% (4/282), 6.4% (18/282), 1.8% (5/282), and 28.4% (80/282), respectively, overall, 37.9% (107/282). Hepatitis E was prominent and steady in superinfection rates during the past 12 years. In 62.1% (175/282) of patients, the causes of fatal liver failure were not clear. The serological status frequency of HBeAg(+) and anti-HBe(−), HBeAg(−) and anti-HBe(−), and HBeAg(−) and anti-HBe(+) was 20.6% (22/107), 23.4% (25/107), and 56.1% (60/107), respectively, in the group with superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D, or E virus and 31.4% (55/175), 21.1% (37/175), and 47.4% (83/175), respectively, in the group in which causes were not clear. The serological status HBeAg(+) and anti-HBe(−) was more frequent in the group in which causes were not clear than in the group with superinfections of hepatitis A, C, D, or E virus (P < 0.05). Statistically, there were no differences (P > 0.05) between the serological status HBeAg(−), anti-HBe(−) and HBeAg(−), anti-HBe(+) between the two groups.

Conclusions

These results suggest that superinfection (107/282) is an important factor in fatal liver failure. The mortality of chronic hepatitis B can be decreased by strict food sanitation and the use of safe blood products. There were no significant relationships between hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion and fatal liver failure during the course of chronic hepatitis B.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shipai, Guangzhou, 510630, P. R. China

    Wei-Min Ke, Xue-Jun Li, Li-Na Yu, Jing Lai, Xiao-He Li & Zhi-Liang Gao

  2. Response Genetics, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA

    Pei-Jia Chen

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  1. Wei-Min Ke
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Ke, WM., Li, XJ., Yu, LN. et al. Etiological investigation of fatal liver failure during the course of chronic hepatitis B in southeast China. J Gastroenterol 41, 347–351 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-005-1781-y

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