Hepatitis C virus antibodies in subjects with and without liver disease in the United Kingdom.

The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus, evidence of previous or current infection with this agent of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis, was determined in 340 subjects residing in the United Kingdom. The antibody was detected in 3 per cent of unselected blood donors and in 60 per cent of patients with chronic post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis. Evidence for infection was also found in 30 per cent of intravenous drug abusers, and in 75 per cent of haemophiliacs receiving commercial factor VIII concentrate. The infection is uncommon in renal units and amongst sexually promiscuous groups attending sexually-transmitted disease clinics. Although the seropositivity rate in primary biliary cirrhosis and chronic B and delta hepatitis was very low (0-2 per cent), in patients with autoimmune and alcoholic liver disease it was 14-16 per cent which, although lower than that quoted in studies from Spain and Italy, is considerably higher than would be expected by chance. The reason for the high incidence of non-A, non-B hepatitis in this latter group of patients is unclear.