The Prognoses of Chronic Hepatitis

Editorials1 October 1972The Prognoses of Chronic HepatitisIAN MACKAY, M.D.IAN MACKAY, M.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-77-4-649 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptWhat is chronic hepatitis? The answer would be, "several ill-defined conditions, differing in cause, course, and outcome." In particular, there is much uncertainty over the pathogenic significance of the hepatitis-B antigen (HBAg) (1). Thus the prognosis for "chronic hepatitis" cannot be specified without reviewing the connotations of this term.PROTRACTED ACUTE INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS.It has been long recognized that "acute" infectious hepatitis in adults can be a protracted or relapsing illness. The most recent study (2), in 1967-1969, on American soldiers showed that as many as 20% of those who developed acute endemic hepatitis had relapses during the subsequent year...References1. POPPERMACKAY HI: Relation between Australia antigen and autoimmune hepatitis. Lancet 1:1161-1163, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. CONRAD M: Endemic viral hepatitis in US soldiers: causative factors and the effect of prophylactic gamma globulin. Can Med Assoc J 106:456-460, 1972 Google Scholar3. MACKAY I: Chronic hepatitis. Ibid., pp. 519-524, 1972 Google Scholar4. NEEFE J: Recent advances in the knowledge of "virus hepatitis." Med Clin N Am 39:1407-1443, 1946 CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. MACKAY I: Immunosuppressive drugs and chronic hepatitis. Med J Aust 1:1207-1210, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. MACKAY I: Cirrhosis and other diseases of the liver, in Immunological Diseases, 2nd ed., vol. 2, pt. V, section IV, edited by SAMTER M, TALMAGE DW, ROSE B, et al. Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1971, pp. 1323-1345 Google Scholar7. MACKAYWOOD II: The course and treatment of lupoid hepatitis. Gastroenterology 45:4-13, 1963 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. READSHERLOCKHARRISON ASC: Active "juvenile" cirrhosis as part of a systemic disease and the effect of corticosteroid therapy. Gut 4:378-393, 1963 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. MISTILISSKYRINGBLACKBURN SAC: Natural history of active chronic hepatitis. I. Clinical features, course, diagnostic criteria, morbidity, mortality and survival. Aust Ann Med 17:214-223, 1968 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. PAGEGOODPOLLARA ARB: Long-term results of therapy in patients with chronic liver disease associated with hypergammaglobulinemia. Am J Med 47:765-774, 1969 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. MACKAY I: Chronic hepatitis: effect of prolonged suppressive treatment and comparison of azathioprine with prednisolone. Q J Med 37:379-392, 1968 MedlineGoogle Scholar12. SKINNERSCHWARTZ MR: Immunosuppressive therapy. N Engl J Med 287:221-227, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13. COOKMULLIGANSHERLOCK GRS: Controlled prospective trial of corticosteroid therapy in active chronic hepatitis. Q J Med 40:159-185, 1971 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. CHERUBINSTENGERSTRAUSS CRR: Chronic liver disease in asymptomatic narcotic addicts. Ann Intern Med 76:391-395, 1972 LinkGoogle Scholar15. REYNOLDSPETERSYAMADA TRS: Chronic active and lupoid hepatitis caused by a laxative, oxyphenisatin. N Engl J Med 285:813-820, 1971 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Clinical Research Unit The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Royal Melbourne Hospital Victoria Australia PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byA 50-year experience with autoimmune hepatitis: and where are we now?GastrointestinalHistorical reflections on autoimmune hepatitisChronic HepatitisHEPATIC DISEASE AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: COINCIDENCE OR CONVERGENCEAuto-immune (lupoid) hepatitis: An entity in the spectrum of chronic active liver diseaseHistory of Chronic HepatitisMechanisms of Chronic HepatitisPrognosis of Chronic Active Hepatitis: 10 years Follow-up Study in 144 PatientsAutoimmune Diseases of the Liver: Chronic Active Hepatitis and Primary Biliary CirrhosisEffect of Immunosuppressive Therapy on HBsAg-Positive Chronic Active Hepatitis in Relation to Presence or Absence of HBeAg and Anti-HBeINTRAUTERINE BENDS?IS CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS CURABLE?A double-blind evaluation of transfer factor therapy of HBsAg-positive chronic aggressive hepatitis: Preliminary report of efficacyCHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS IN CHILDREN A Clinical and Immunological Long-term StudyTRANSFER-FACTOR THERAPY OF CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITISDIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN NEONATAL HEPATITIS AND BILIARY ATRESIA BY MEASURING SERUM-ALPHA-FETOPROTEINChronic Active Hepatitis Without Hepatitis B Antigenemia in Renal Transplant RecipientsChronic Inflammatory Liver Disease: Reexamination in PerspectiveImmunopathog0enesis of Chronic Hepatitis: A Review* 1 October 1972Volume 77, Issue 4Page: 649-651KeywordsAntigensChronic hepatitisHepatitisInfectious hepatitisPathogens Issue Published: 1 October 1972 PDF downloadLoading ...