[Non-A, non-B hepatitis in patients with chronic hemodialysis].

A prospective study was conducted of the incidence and course of acute viral hepatitis in 69 chronic hemodialysis patients. During a mean observation period of 15.4 months, 5.6 cases/100 patients/year of non-A, non-B hepatitis and 1.1 cases/100 patients/year of hepatitis B virus infection occurred. 19 out of 38 patients with serologic evidence of immunity against hepatitis B virus infection developed the antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen after active immunization. All cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis had an asymptomatic course, but there was a tendency to chronicity. The overall impact of non-A, non-B hepatitis in patients on chronic hemodialysis is discussed.