Search for hepatitis B virus DNA in sera from patients with acute type B or non-A, non-B hepatitis

One hundred and three single sera from adults hospitalized with acute type B (78) or non-A, non-B (25) hepatitis were tested for the presence of hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA). All sera from patients with type B hepatitis were IgM anti-HBc-positive. These patients were classified as benign (47) or fulminant (31) hepatitis. The 25 acute non-A, non-B patients were also classified as benign (21) or fulminant (4) hepatitis and were negative for serologic markers of past HBV infection.