A. Omori

HBs-Ag, HBc-Ag and virus-like particles in liver tissue.

SummaryHepatitis B surface antigen (HBs-Ag) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBc-Ag) in hepatic tissue of3 cases with various liver diseases were investigated by immunofluorescent method. Virus-like particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy in the nuclei of these 3 cases. The localization of HBs-Ag was restricted in cytoplasma or on the surface of hepatocyte, while HBc-Ag was almost in the hepatocytic nuclei. However, there was unexplainable discrepancy between the distribution of HBs-Ag and that of HBc-Ag, as more the former in number and less the latter, of hepatocytes. The size of virus-like particles in nuclei was 22–27 nm in diameter. Most of them were hollow, but some of them were wholly electron dense. Their distribution was various from case to case. Discussion was made on the correlation between the presence of Hepatitis B virus and HBs-Ag or HBc-Ag.

Studies on Au-antigen in serum and hepatic tissue in liver diseases

ConculusionThe frequency of tissue Au-antigen in acute hepatitis of convalescent stage was similar to that of Au-antigen in sera in its acute stage. As the histological findings of hepatitis progressed to cirrhosis or hepatoma, the incidence of tissue Au-antigen was much higher. And hepatoma cells also had Au-antigen.These results suggested that chronic viral infection might play some important roles for the progression of hepatitis to cirrhosis.

Studies on the exercise tolerance test for the evaluation of the prognosis of the patients with acute hepatitis

ConclusionFrom the results described above, the authors thought that the overloading test presented in this paper may better be applied to the patients with acute hepatitis before the discharge for evaluating the prognosis of them when the liver biopsy can not be done.

Studies on the effects of glucocorticoid hormone on the prognosis of the patients with cirrhosis of the liver

ConclusionsThese results showed that steroid hormone had a better effects on the survival rate of patients with cirrhosis of the liver at least upto 3 years. But a longer survey of them needs to draw a final conclusion of the effects of steroid hormone in hepatic cirrhosis.

Clinicopathological studies on subacute hepatitis

137 grams. Subacute hepati t is is a clinical te rm having morphological bases of subacute hepatic necrosis. From these clinical and morphological points, it is easy to differentiate subacute hepatit is from fu lminant hepatit is (acute hepatic necrosis in base) or acute exacerbation of liver cirrhosis. When some special clinical or laboratorial findings are observed, it is better to add concerning term (for example, Hyper g a m m a globulin).

Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy with exchange transfusion

Hepatic encephalopathy tha t associated wi th hepatic disease such as f luminating hepatitis, has a high mor ta l i ty ra te and multiple methods of therapy has been t r ied in vain. Trey et al. reported 7 pat ients wi th hepatic coma due to acute hepati t is who had a recovery consciousness a f te r exchange t ransfus ion. After his report same method of therapy has been used to pat ients in hepatic coma. We also have t rea td four pat ients in hepatic encephalopathy with exchange t ransfuion using 6 to 10 l i ters heparinized f resh whole blood per patient. In three female pat ients the acute hepatic necrosis was due to acute hepati t is , in one male hepatic encephalopathy due to choleli thiasis. Three pat ients showed some improvement in the level of conciousness, the serum bil i rubin levels, and ammonia levels. In one patient, suffered from fluminating hepati t is , her condition was unchanged. But all four patients u l t imate ly died, in three female wi th gas t rointes t inal hemorrhage, and in one male with renal fai lure. In our patients, about 2 to 3 l i ters of blood were exchanged in a day. It has been est imated t ha t exchanging 5.5 l i ters in an adult man resul t s in the replacement of about 80% of the blood volume. So tha t in our cases exchanged blood volume might be too litt le for obtaining a surviving effect. But it is worth to t rea t the pat ient of hepatic encephalopathy with exchange t ransfus ion. The only problem for this method of therapy is the necessi ty of large volume of f resh blood and of much labor of doctor and nurse.

Studies on the prognosis and treatment of hepatitis (iii) exercise tolerance test

regenerat ion became conspicuous around a month and some of the cases showed the findings of cirrhosis in about a year. The subacute stage was considered to fall on the period between about a month and a year. Serum bilirubin level was high part icular ly in this subacute stage and serum total cholesterol was generally low in all s tages. Zinc sulfate turbidi ty test increased as the stage advanced. There is a possibility that a part of so-called subacute hepati t is is included in this subacute stage of serious hepati t is .