[Parameter in fulminant hepatitis].

Serum complement hemolytic activities (CH 50) and plasma prothrombin time (PTT) of patients with fulminant hepatitis (FH, 11 cases of acute type and 11 cases of subacute type), severe acute hepatitis (AH-S, 9 cases) and typical acute hepatitis (AH-T, 20 cases) were examined. AH-S was diagnosed as AH patients with PTT under 40% and without hepatic coma. Survival rates were 100% in AH-S, 45.5% (5/11) in acute type of FH and 9.1% (1/11) in subacute type of FH. The mean levels of CH 50 on their admission were 42.6 U/ml in AH-T, 28.8 U/ml in AH-S and 13.1 U/ml in FH. CH50 levels in acute hepatitis decreased in parallel to the severity of the disease and correlated with PTT (r = 0.809). In many cases of FH and almost all cases of AH-S, CH50 levels changed more slowly than those of PTT. The patients with AH-S and subacute type of FH showed a prolonged PTT and the normal levels of CH 50 in their acute phase. These results indicate that CH50 and PTT could be useful markers differentiating subacute type from acute type of fulminant hepatitis.