Study on some hepatic functions and prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigenaemia in Egyptian children with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis

Several different hepatic parenchymal lesions, including chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, have been increasingly reported in children with schistosomal hepatic fibrosis (SHF) despite the known mesenchymal nature of the disease. The prevalence of persistent hepatitis (B) surface (HBs) antigenaemia and some hepatic functions have been determined in 52 children with SHF as well as in 100 age-matched healthy children. High prevalence of chronic HBs antigenaemia (58 per cent) has been demonstrated in children with SHF, but only in 2 per cent of the normal children. This denotes that children with SHF represent a dangerous reservoir for hepatitis B infection to the community. Serum alanine transferase (ALT) was higher than normal in 58 per cent of HBS seropositive patients and in none of the seronegative patients. This points to the risk of continual hepatic parenchymal injury to the HBs seropositive patients with schistosomiasis.