title: Fulminant hepatic failure during remission from leukemia: three cases associated with massive liver cell necrosis and hepatitis B virus.
abstract: Three patients at various stages of remission from leukemia died following the development of massive liver necrosis within only 4-6 days. All had either hepatitis B surface antigen or antibody in their sera, and two of them experienced severe epigastric pain before the onset of liver injury. Hepatitis B surface antigen appeared in two of these patients after remission from leukemia. Serum gamma-globulin levels increased with decreasing doses of prednisolone and other antileukemic drugs, and hepatic cell necrosis occurred extensively. Localization of hepatitis B surface antigen in their livers revealed a strong positive reaction in the phagocytic cells. These observations strongly suggest that hepatitis B virus may be causally related to the fulminant hepatic failure at least in two of the reported leukemic patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens