抄録
The diagnosis of the majority of hepatitis non-A, non-B have become possible as hepatitis C. This is because the measurement of specific antibody using gene technology has become possible. Classification of viral hepatitis has been reconstructed by five kinds of causal virus; hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Hepatitis A exists only as acute hepatitis, has no persistent infection, and HAV is different from other hepatitis virus. Regarding HBV, on the other hand, persistent infection by maternal-infant trans-mission is concerned leading to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Other horizontal infection terminates with transient infection similarly to hepatitis A. As for hepatitis C virus infection, it has characteristically persistent infection that progresses frequently to chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The cases of hepatitis D and hepatitis E are very few in our country, and the former hepatitis A, B and C are the important diseases as clinical entities. In this symposium, present situation, problems, and the front of research on viral hepatitis were widely discussed especially with regand to its diagnosis, course, treatment and prevention based on the classification of virus. In national hospitals and sanatoriums, specialists have observed and coped with them for a long time. Clinical differences among the three types of hepatitis, the long-term prognosis of hepatitis C which is caused by blood transfusion in the majority of the cases, and the course and prognosis of other acute hepatitis were discussed. Development of future treatment was also discussed. Drugs like Interferon and Ara-A which directly influence virus have been developed as anti-virus therapy, and their evaluation has been almost established. For the cases of esophageal varices with liver cirrhosis, the number of surgical operations decreased prominently. Dietary therapy with the balance of amino acid for prevention of hepatic encephalopathy has become more important than that with high protein and high caloric diet. The most remarkable progress lately as the specific prevention of viral hepatitis is the counterplan by hepatitis vaccine. Prevention of hepatitis B has already been reinforced certainly by vaccination for more than one million people using hepatitis B vaccine. The phase-III examination of hepatitis A vaccine is being reinforced at present and it will be commercially available soon. Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of viral hepatitis which have been progressed remarkably in these several years Were discussed by specialists.
