1991 Volume 32 Issue 1 Pages 25-33
Fourteen patients with type non-A, non-B fulminant hepatitis (FH) and related diseases (in one patient accompanying type A and one patient accompanying type B respectively) were treated with interferon (IFN) in combination with or without an artificial liver support (ALS) we have originally developed. Eight patients showed histologically definite liver regeneration, and seven survived. Including 8 survivors out of 10 patients mainly with type B who were treated with the ALS alone, 15 patients survived in recent four years (survival rate 62.5%).
Serial determination of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase (2-5 AS) activity was performed in 12 patients undergoing IFN therapy and 6 survivors not undergoing IFN therapy. Maximum 2-5 AS in patients survived after IFN therapy was 9.33±8.88 times higher than that before the treatment, and was 3.52±1.26 times higher than that at the onset of coma in survivors without IFN therapy. While, it was only 1.73±0.50 times higher in those who died after IFN therapy.
Thus, the responsiveness of 2-5 AS is indicative of prognosis in fulminant viral hepatitis no matter if patients receive IFN therapy or not.
