ELECTROPHORETIC STUDIES OF THE SERUM PROTEINS IN VIRUS HEPATITIS

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Abstract
In 21 cases of virus hepatitis, electrophoretic analyses of the serum proteins were performed in the acute phase of the disease, during subsequent stages or as late-follow-up studies. Liver function tests were done simultaneously. Ten cases of acute virus hepatitis all exhibited diminished albumin values on electrophoretic analysis even when not evident by the Howe fractionation. Elevated gamma-globulins occurred in 7 of the 10 cases, and elevated beta-globulins in the same number, other variations being less frequent. Cases of severe acute hepatitis showed in general more pronounced changes than milder cases, but no strict correlation existed. The abnormalities bore resemblances to those observed in portal cirrhosis, infectious mononucleosis, chronic Brucella hepatitis and Weil''s disease. It was felt that the disturbances of the serum proteins were more probably a reflection of hepatic dysfunction than of the infectious process. Of 5 cases followed with serial electrophoretic analyses of the serum proteins, 2 with mild acute hepatitis showed complete reversion to normal, while 3 with more sever acute episodes exhibited residual abnormalities of the electrophoretic pattern 128, 290 and 396 days after the initial study, even though the patients were asymptomatic and had almost normal tests of hepatic function. Late follow-up studies on sera from 11 individuals who had clinically recovered from acute virus hepatitis 10-36 mos. previously revealed residual abnormalities in the electrophoretic patterns of 8 of the 11 sera.