Fulminant viral hepatitis
- 1 June 1990
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in British Medical Bulletin
- Vol. 46 (2) , 462-480
- https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a072410
Abstract
In the United Kingdom and United States of America, fulminant viral hepatitis is due mainly to sporadic (non-parenteral non-A, non-B hepatitis and hepatitis B whereas that caused by hepatitus A virus is very uncommon and by the herpes viruses remains rare. Recent advances in fulminantnon-A, non-B hepatitis have come with the identification and cloning of a virus (27–34 nm) in the enteral variety (hapatitis E) which is prevalent in the Indian sub-continent, North Africa and elsewhere, especially in pregnant women. Virus-like particles (50–70nm) with ultrastructural features similar to the togaviridae and flaviviridae have been identified in some patients with fulminant non-A, non-B hepatitis in the United kingdom. The relation to hepatitis C virus, recently identified as a major cause of chronic post-transfusion (parenteral) non-A, non-B hepatitis, awaits serological analysis. The recent domonstration that persistence of active viral replication can occur in some case of fulminant hepatitis type A and B using monoclonal antibody and molecular biology techniques challenges the classical views on the pathogenesis of these varieties of fulminant viral hepatitis.Keywords
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