[Epidemiologic study of hepatitis C virus infections in the population monitored by the former Local Health Unit 10]

Minerva Gastroenterol Dietol. 1996 Sep;42(3):127-31.
[Article in Italian]

Abstract

During the first six months of 1994 serum samples from 726 patients were assayed for anti-HCV antibodies of which 114 where found to be seropositive. After excluding those belonging to those categories known to be "at risk", the 93 remaining patients were evaluated from a clinical and chemico-clinical point of view. The distribution of seropositivity compared to age showed that around 70% of this sample were aged between 51 and 80 years old. In clinical terms 30% of patients were asymptomatic, while over 40% presented chronic hepatitis and 16% suffered from cirrhosis. Mean levels of bilirubinemia, SGOT, SGPT, AFP and gamma-GT were generally above normal. In particular, over 90% of transaminase values were found to belong to WHO hepatotoxic classes 0-2; only a few cases showed a very high level of hepatic toxicity, while over 25% showed normal hepatic function.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Health Facilities*
  • Hepatitis C / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Ambulatory