Table 1 Demographic, clinical and virological characteristics at hospital admission of 80 HBsAg/anti-HBc IgM positive patients in 1978–79 and 1994–95 surveys of acute hepatitis B in North-East Italy

Number of patients

50

30

Sex M/F (index)

28/22 (1.3)

18/13 (1.4)

Median age (range)

32 (23–85)

25 (15–78)

HBeAg positive (%)

34 (68.0)

17 (56.7)

HBeAg negative (%)

16 (32.0)

13 (43.3)

Anti-HBe positive (%)

29 (58.0)

17 (56.7)

Mean Log₁₀ HBV DNA (range)

5.51 (3.29–8.51)

4.34 (1.48–8.71)

Anti-HDV positive (%)

2 (4.0)

3 (10.0)

Anti-HCV positive (%)

12 (24.0)

8 (25.8)

Mean hospital days (range)

37.6 (18–77)

19.5 (8–26)

Mean IU ALT (range)

2280 (850–3760)

2678 (658–4600)

 IDU (%)

4/50 (8.0) ^§

8/30 (26.7) ^§

 other parenteral (sexual, household contact) (%)

20/50 (40.0)

7/30 (23.3)

 unknown (%)

26/50 (52.0)

16/30 (53.3)

 A

6/50 (12.0)

6/30 (20.0)

 D

43/50 (86.0)

24/30 (80.0)

 E

1/50 (2.0)

–

 D1

1/29 (3.4)

1/16 (6.2)

 D2

3/29 (10.3)

2/16 (12.5)

 D3

25/29 (86.2)

13/16 (81.2)