A Follow-up Study of Viral Heratitis Part Ⅱ. An investigation on progression of posttransfusion hepatitis into the chronic hepatitis

For the purpose of elucidation on progression of posttransfusion hepatitis to chronic hepatitis, a set of liver function tests was repeated periodically on the patients who had had blood transfusion supplied by blood banks. Liver biopsy was performed on the selected cases of posttransfusion hepatitis for a pathohistological study. The results were as follows: 1) From the second to the fifth day after transfusion the laboratory tests revealed transient signs of liver dysfunction which returned to the normal within 2 weeks. 2) From the third to the seventh day following transfusion, parenchymal damages were observed on the biopsy specimens, whereas the tenth day specimens showed no pathognomonic change. 3) The onset of posttransfusion hepatitis was 3 weeks or more after blood transfusion. Any evidences of liver dysfunction that occured within 2 weeks seemed to have been originated majorly from the transfusion blood itself and minorly from the ill effects of anesthesia, operational interventions and illnesses which necessiated transfusion. The viral infection did not appear to be the case, Shortly after the onset of posttransfusion hepatitis histopathological examination revealed pathohistological findings suggestive of chronic hepatitis in some instances. It was surmised that this illness had strong predilection for chronicity. 5) The parencymal damage in the early stage of the disease and some factors of the preserved blood were thought to be the causes of a propensity to the chronic progression of posttransfusion hepatitis.