The effectivity of immunosuppressive therapy on chronic aggressive (active) hepatitis and on chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis (PBC). Morphometric investigations on the portal tracts of the liver.

ABSTRACT

Morphometric investigations were carried out on liver biopsies of chronic aggressive (active) hepatitis (CAH), type IIa, chronic aggressive (active) hepatitis, type IIb, and on chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis (CNDC) (primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in the second and third stages. The goal of the histometric analysis was a comparison of the portal tracts before and after immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine and corticosteroids as well as with azathioprine alone. The volume and surface measurements of the portal tracts and their components showed that for an evaluation of the effectivity of the immunosuppressive therapy on CAH, along with a division into HBsAg-positive and -negative cases, a histologically determined degree of the severity of the inflammatory activity is extremely significant. The therapeutic effect is significant for all cases of CAH IIb, evident for HBsAg-negative cases of CAH IIa and slight for HBsAg-positive cases of CAH IIa. Immunosuppressive therapy of CNDC has no effect on the characteristic destruction process of the bile ducts and ductule proliferation.