To evaluate the effective role of hepatitis viruses in thalassemic (Th) liver
disease, we carried out a long-term study in 42 subjects with nontransfusion-dependent Th
minor hospitalized for an episode of acute viral hepatitis. 10 patients had serologic evidence
of hepatitis A, 23 of hepatitis B and 9 of hepatitis non-A, non-B. In the follow-up chronic
hepatitis was detected histologically in 5/23 patients with hepatitis B and 5/9 with hepatitis
non-A, non-B. All hepatitis A patients recovered completely. The prevalence in 7 out of 10
patients with chronic hepatitis of piecemeal necrosis and of inflammatory changes over
hepatic siderosis and fibrosis evidenced a determinant role of chronic viral infection in the
development of liver damage in these patients. Thus, heterozygous nontransfusion-dependent
Th patients seem to have a high risk of developing a chronic inflammatory liver disease
especially after an episode of non-A, non-B hepatitis. Therefore, in our geographical area,
chronic hepatitis of viral origin should be taken into account, among other pathogenetic
factors, in many cases of cryptogenic thalassemic liver disease.