Abstract
The present series include one case of chronic active hepatitis fulfilling the 5 markers for an autoimmune process, 25 2 cases of SLE, 3 cases of lymphoid thyroiditis and a case of hepatomegaly. Pneumomediastinography showed abnormally large thymic shadow and histological examinations revealed lymph follicle formation and/or marked hyperplasia of epithelial reticulum cells in all cases. The liver showed features of hepatitis ranging from non-specific reactive hepatitis to chronic active hepatitis. The presence of gamma-globulin in some cases was demonstrated in the germinal centers of the thymus with a fluoresceinlabeled antibody technique. A long-term follow up study has disclosed an improvement of the serum gamma-globulin level, the colloidal reaction and the latex fixation test and so forth. (A case of liver cirrhosis with hyperplasia of thymic epithelial reticulum cells and two cases of thymoma with liver cirrhosis and/or fibrosis were also recorded.)
These findings would support the possibilities of a participation of thymic abnormalities or immunological processes in the development of some chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
