<正> To identify the etiology of non-A

non-B

non-C hepatitis

23 such patients succes-sively admitted in our hospital during 1988～1992 were investigated using an enzyme immunoas-say kit with two recombinant hepatitis E virus（HEV）antigens from Genelabs（Redwood City

CA.USA）.Anti-HEV-IgG was detected in 18 cases of them.The disease was diagnosed as hep-atitis E.All 18 patients were Guangzhou residents.This is one of the first reports on the pres-ence of sporadic hepatitis E in a metropolis beyond the endemic areas.The present observationshowed that sporadic hepatitis E occurred out of season and was unlike the epidemic form in Xin-jiang.Fifteen of 18 patients aged from 20 to 50 years

suggesting that it usually prevailed amongthe young-to-middle-aged adults.The ratio of male to female was 14 to 4.The ratio of icterictype to anicteric type was 16 to 2.The jaundice of 16 icteric patients disappeared in 24.6 days（range

14～60 days）.The average alanine aminotransferase level was 806 IU/L（range

74～1676 IU/L）

which declined to normal in 30.4 days（range

19～77 days）.All patients recov-ered completely in 4.7 weeks.This report also indicated that the course of sporadic hepatitis E

as of epidemic form

is self-limiting and has no chronic sequelae.