Long-term analysis of non-A, non-B hepatitis--clinical, histologic and immunologic findings

By means of a long-term analysis of histological and clinical-biochemical data taken of a group of patients (n = 38) having contracted an acute viral hepatitis non-A, non-B with a uniform parenteral source of infection evidence is given concerning the dynamic processes in the course of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. The analysis was therefore not based on the total biopsy material but on a section of 143 liver biopsies of patients who had been punctured at least 3 times (up to 6 times) in the 7 years of examination. A rate of 57,2% chronic persistent and 42,8% chronic lobular hepatitis was ascertained. A chronic active hepatitis or liver cirrhosis were not found. Both the histological activity degrees and ALAT-mean values were declining during the follow-up study though attacks (ALAT) and histological reactivations were observed in the 7th year, too. The data suggest that the chronic liver changes that developed in this type of non-A, non-B hepatitis proved to be extremely lingering but as a whole a regressive tendency could be observed.