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The long-term outcome of hepatitis B

Langfristige Folge der Hepatitis B

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Summary

Among 466 hospitalized patients with serologically verified acute hepatitis B, 440 individuals (94.4%) could be followed up until normalization of liver function had occured, or for at least one year. In 90.2% of the patients followed-up liver function (including galactose tolerance) returned to normal within four months after onset of illness. Chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) developed in 28 patients (6.4%) with persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs Ag) for at least one year in 14 patients (50%). Liver biopsy was performed in 20 of these 28 cases about a year after onset of illness and was consistent with CPH in all cases. Histological signs of chronic aggressive hepatitis developed in 15 patients (3.4%) and persistence of HBs Ag was observed in 11 of these patients (73%). No histological follow-up was performed in patients with normal liver function within four onths after onset of illness. Corticosteroid treatment in 56 patients with prolonged symptoms did not seem to predispose to persistence of HBs AG in the serum.

Zusammenfassung

Von insgesamt 466 stationären Patienten mit serologisch verifizierter akuter Hepatitis B konnten 440 (94,4%) bis zur Normalisierung der Leberfunktion oder mindestens ein Jahr nachbeobachtet werden. Bei 90,2% der nachbeobachteten Patienten normalisierte sich die Leberfunktion (einschließlich Galaktosetoleranz) binnen 4 Monaten nach Ausbruch der Krankheit. Chronisch persistierende Hepatitis entwickelte sich bei 28 Patienten (6,4%) mit Persistenz des Hepatitis-B-Oberflächenantigens (HBS AG) für die Dauer von mindestens einem Jahr bei 14 Patienten (50%). Bei 20 dieser 28 Fälle wurde ungefähr ein Jahr nach Ausbruch der Krankheit eine Leberbiopsie durchgeführt, die in allen Fällen dem Bild der chronisch persistierenden Hepatitis entsprach. Histologische Zeichen der chronisch aggressiven Hepatitis entwickelten sich bei 15 Patienten (3,4%) und bei 11 von ihnen (73%) wurde Persistenz des HBsAg festgestellt. Bei Patienten mit normaler Leberfunktion binnen 4 Monaten nach Ausbruch der Krankheit wurde keine histologische Kontrolluntersuchung vorgenommen. Die Kortikosteroidbehandlung von 56 Patienten mit langfristigen Symptomen schien nicht für die Persistenz von HBs AG im Serum zu prädisponieren.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Göteborg, Östra Sjukhuset, S-416 85, Göteborg, Sweden

    G. Norkrans &  S. Iwarson

  2. Institute of Medical Microbiology, Department of Clinical Virology, Sahlgren's Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden

    S. Hermodsson

  3. 1st Department of Pathology, Sahlgren's Hospital, S-413 45, Göteborg, Sweden

    P. Lundin

Authors
  1. G. Norkrans
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  2. S. Hermodsson
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  3. P. Lundin
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  4. S. Iwarson
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Norkrans, G., Hermodsson, S., Lundin, P. et al. The long-term outcome of hepatitis B. Infection 4, 70–72 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01638719

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01638719

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