A study of six patients with exacerbated chronic hepatitis B after seroconversion from HBe antigen to anti-HBe by short term corticosteroid withdrawal therapy

Abstract

We investegated six chronic hepatitis B cases who seroconverted from HBe antigen to anti HBe by short term corticosteroid withdrawal therapy, who worsened after seroconversion. In five of them DNA-Polymerase was positive after seroconversion; this showed that the exacervation was caused by hepatitis B virus. We assessed histological prognosis by repeated liver biopsy in five cases: three showed histological aggravation and two showed no change. Intravenous glycyrrhizin was adminiStered to four of them. This proved effective for all of them, but in two cases the serum transaminase levels increased again after the dosage was reduced. Further treatment should be considered in such cases.