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Natural history of chronic viral hepatitis in southern Italy: epidemiological changes since the introduction of the anti-HCV test

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2003

G. PARRILLI ,
L. ORSINI ,
S. STRANGES ,
L. CIMINO ,
C. ABAZIA ,
E. SCALICE ,
F. MANGUSO ,
E. FARINARO  and
G. BUDILLON
G. PARRILLI
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
L. ORSINI
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
S. STRANGES
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medical Sciences, Section of Hygiene, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
L. CIMINO
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
C. ABAZIA
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
E. SCALICE
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
F. MANGUSO
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
E. FARINARO
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medical Sciences, Section of Hygiene, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
G. BUDILLON
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Abstract

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We investigated whether there are differences between the natural history of B and C chronic hepatitis in a southern Italian population, and whether the chronic viral hepatitis population was modified by the introduction of the anti-HCV test in 1989. We examined clinical charts of 1120 patients consecutively admitted to our division from January 1979 to December 1998 with the histological diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis (304 from 1979 to 1988; 816 from 1989 to 1998). We found significant differences only in age at diagnosis (higher in the second decade, P=0·001), and in aetiology (HBV decreased in the second decade, P<0·0001). We were able to follow up 449 patients for 2–20 years (311 with HCV and 138 with HBV infection), and found that chronic HCV evolved to cirrhosis more frequently than did chronic HBV; but in both types time to development of cirrhosis and the incidence of death were similar. Our data confirm that a higher onset age of HBV and of HCV is frequently observed in those subjects who have a faster disease progression.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 131 , Issue 3 , December 2003 , pp. 1111 - 1115
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press