Epidemiology and Infection

Table of Contents - 2003 - Volume 131, Issue 03  


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

G. PARRILLI a1c1, L. ORSINI a1, S. STRANGES a2, L. CIMINO a1, C. ABAZIA a1, E. SCALICE a1, F. MANGUSO a1, E. FARINARO a2 and G. BUDILLON a1
a1 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy
a2 Department of Preventive Medical Sciences, Section of Hygiene, Federico II University, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy

Article author query
parrilli g   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
orsini l   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
stranges s   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
cimino l   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
abazia c   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
scalice e   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
manguso f   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
farinaro e   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 
budillon g   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

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.

(Accepted June 23 2003)


Correspondence:
c1 Dr G. Parrilli, Università Federico II, Divisione Epatogastroenterologia, ED 6, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy.

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