This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (47)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Its Considerations and Consequences

William A. Briggs, MD; J. Michael Lazarus, MD; Alan G. Birtch, MD; Constantine L. Hampers, MD; Edward B. Hager, MD; John P. Merrill, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1973;132(1):21-28.

Abstract
Thirty-eight cases of hepatitis affecting dialysis and transplant patients, medical personnel, and one patient's spouse were recognized from March 1969 through July 1970. Dialysis patients were usually symptomatic; almost one half were jaundiced, one died of hepatic failure, and persistence of Au antigenemia was not the rule. The immunosuppressed posttransplant patient had a benign clinical course compared with both dialysis patients and contact cases. Azathioprine therapy adversely influenced the course of hepatitis in some posttransplant patients, and its temporary discontinuation was associated with rapid clinical and biochemical recovery and with a change from positive to negative test results for Australia (Au) antigen in two of four patients. Six posttransplant patients had chronic Au antigenemia, but only two of them had chronic elevation of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase values. Three other posttransplant patients have had intermittently elevated transaminase values without a positive Au antigen reaction.

Author Affiliations
Boston

From the departments of medicine (Drs. Briggs, Lazarus, Hampers, Hager, and Merrill) and surgery (Dr. Birtch), Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.

Footnotes
Received for publication Aug 16, 1971; accepted May 16, 1972.

Reprint requests to Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Dialysis Unit, 721 Huntington Ave, Boston 02115 (Dr. Lazarus).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Duration of Hepatitis B Surface Antigenemia (HBs Ag) in Hemodialysis Patients
Ribot et al.
Arch Intern Med 1979;139:178-180.
ABSTRACT  

Liver Disease in Renal Transplant Recipients
Anuras et al.
Arch Intern Med 1977;137:42-48.
ABSTRACT  

Altered Reticuloendothelial Function in Long-Term Renal Allograft Recipients
Drivas et al.
Arch Surg 1976;111:1368-1371.
ABSTRACT