Chronic hepatitis A with persistent viral replication

✍ Scribed by Inoue, Kazuaki; Yoshiba, Makoto; Yotsuyanagi, Hiroshi; Otsuka, Tatsuhiko; Sekiyama, Kazuhiko; Fujita, Rikiya

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 359 KB
• Volume: 50
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0146-6615
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199612)50:4<322::aid-jmv7>3.0.co;2-a

✦ Synopsis

Hepatitis A virus (HAW usually causes an acute self-limited illness. This report describes a patient with hepatitis A whose serum aminotransferase activities remained above normal and whose serum was persistently positive for immunoglobulin (Is) M class anti-hepatitisA31 months after the onset of hepatitis. Liver biopsy carried out 11 months after the onset of hepatitis showed histological changes consistent with chronic hepatitis of moderate severity. HAV RNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in feces collected at the time of the liver biopsy. Furthermore, the patient developed esophageal varices 25 months after the onset of hepatitis.

We believe this to be the first reported case i n which persistent replication of HAV is implicated in chronic hepatitis with the potential t o develop into liver cirrhosis. o 1996 WiIey-Liss, Inc.