1999 Volume 41 Issue 5 Pages 1123-1128
The patient was a 54-year-old female without history of blood transfusion. Herbrother had died of cirrhosis and hepatocelluler carcinoma. While being treated forhypertension and diabetes, she was found in the course of a healthcheckup to havepericardial fluid retension and admitted to hospital. The initial examination demonstrated hepatic dysfunction and positivity for anti-HTLV-I antibody. According to the hematoanalysis blood examination on the presentadmition, WBC stood at 8000/μl, the hemoglobin at 12.6g/dl, and the platelet count at 14.5×104μl, with no abnomality in the hematological profile.The GOT level was estimatedat 68 IU/l and the GPT at 66 IU/l ; the γ-GTP increased to 133 IU/l; the IgG stood at 2500mg/dl. The patient was 640-dil positive for the antinucler antibody and positive for HTLV-I examined by means of Westernblot's method. Bone marrow was normal. HLA typingdetected the presence of DR4. The margin of the right hepatic lobule had become thick and obtuse by laparQscopicexamination. On the rough and irregular surface of the liver were:noted groove depression, coarse unducation, and reddish marking, which were in conformity with manifestations ofAu.toirnmune hepatitis. Attention has already been raised in the association of HTLV-I infection with autoim-mune disease, We considered that our patient would provide us with a significant into thepathogenesis and clinical progress of autoimrnune hepatitis.
