All issues > Volume 30(11); 1987

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1987;30(11):1265-1273. Published online November 30, 1987.

Hepatitis with Positive HBsAg in 3 Generations in 3 Families.

Dong Hak Shin¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Keimyung University, Taegu, Korea

Abstract

Since Jolly reported multiple occurences of cryptogenic cirrhosis in children in a family members in 1892, there had been sporadic cases reported and this familial liver cirrhosis was called as familial juvenile cirrhosis by Gunn. In 1960, numer of family pedigree of chronic liver diseases (such as chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cell carcinoma) in adult was more numerous than that of in children. In 1970 these disease were reported to have corelation with HBsAg positivity and number of familial chronic liver disease had been increased. The author has experienced three family pedigrees of familial chronic liver disease with postivie HBsAg, which here in reported and the literatures are reveiewed. Result. 1) In two family pedigrees, members of positive in partenal side in 1st generation showed positive mebers in 2nd and 3rd generations. 2) In a family pedigree, the grandmother has lived cirrhosis with positive HBsAg and the grandfather died from liver cirrhosis at age of 72. 3) Family members in positive in maternal side showed significantly decreased liver function. 4) In a family pedigree, all members with chronic heaptitis in three consequtive generations with positive HBsAg and HBeAg were present. Conclusion. for prevention of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary liver cell carcinoma in family members with positive HBsAg, early detection and diagnosis are very important and vaccination is also important, and examination of HLA antigen is helpful in making differential diagnosis from alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis and presence of active hepatitis, and further more is tis helpful in guiding treatment.

Keywords :Positive HBsAg hepatitis; Family pedigree.