FOLLOW-UP 10 YEARS AFTER CORTICOSTEROID-THERAPY FOR CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS TYPE-B

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 27  (2) , 85-90
Abstract
Follow-up studies were conducted on chronic liver disease patients treated 10 yr previously with corticosteroid (CS). Hbs antigen (HbsAg, hepatitis type B surface antigen) was measured in previously collected paraffin embedded liver sections by enzyme-labeled antibody technique. Of 57 cases examined, 38 cases were treated with CS or immunosuppressive agents and 19 cases were not treated with CS (control group). In the CS-treated group 2 deaths occurred and 4 in the non-CS treated group. The patients were diagnosed as the 2B type (severe activity) of chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH) or as having liver cirrhosis. A death was found in the 10th yr due to hepatocellular carcinoma in a chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) patient with HBsAg diffusely distributed in liver tissue. No significant difference was found in the rehabilitation rate in HBsAg negative cases of the CS group vs. the control group. In positive cases, the rehabilitation rate was 66.7 % in the CS group compared with 0 % in the non-CS group.