[The relation of B- and non-A, non-B hepatitis virus--hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA hybridization studies of the sera in non-A, non-B hepatitis].

Referring to informations of various international groups of investigators who regard the NANBH as HBV-variant the sera of 77 female patients with chronic NANBH and 28 acute phase sera of a NANBH serum bank were tested for HBV-DNA. The sera in question were such ones of a particularly well defined group of patients with unique parenteral source of infections. Though further ALAT attacks were observed, in none of the NANBH-sera HBV-DNA was proved as a sign of an active HBV-replication. This, like the absence of an immunity against the NANBH-virus after HBV-disease and the observed suppression of the HBV-DNA in NANBH-superinfection of HBV-carriers (virus interference), speaks against the hypothesis of a close genetic relationship between the two viruses.