Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis are in risk to acquire a fulminant hepatitis associated with hepatitis A virus superinfection.
Patients and methods: Antibodies against hepatitis A were study in serum from 353 patients with chronic hepatitis B or C.
Results: The prevalence of IgG-HAV antibodies was 81% in chronic hepatitis C patients, and 77% in chronic hepatitis B patients. The presence of anti-HAV antibodies was related to the patients' age. None case of acute hepatitis A in chronic hepatitis patients was detected.
Conclusions: The prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies is high in patients with chronic viral hepatitis but the incidence of the disease is low. Hepatitis A vaccination should do with previously screening.