(3) Recognization of the danger from hepatophilic virus

    In the past, it was considered that only those which could induce clinical manifestations of hepatitis were ascertained as hepatitis virus.  The latter is known, at the present time, to include seven types.  In fact, besides hepatitis virus, many other viruses can also produce hepatitis and possess “hepatophilic” characteristics; these are the parotitis virus, simple herpes virus, cytomegalovirus, EB virus, Coxsackie virus, ECHO virus, yellow fever virus, German measles virus.  These viruses have their respective clinical features, so they do not belong to the hepatitis virus group, but should be called in general “hepatophilic virus”.

        Although these viruses are not called hepatitis virus but it does not mean that they do not induce hepatic infection (acute or chronic) of the host, leading to hepatomegaly and, at the same time, to hepatitis symptoms and extrahepatic manifestation and complications.  Therefore, if clinical diagnosis is made on the basis of the past standard, large amounts of early and mild cases as well as cases with extrahepatic symptoms as chief manifestation would lose the chance of early treatment.  In other words, “hepatophilic virus” should include several types of hepatitis virus and all related viruses that can cause symptoms of hepatitis.  “Hepatophilic virus disease” should refer to patients with abnormal margin of liver dullness and with prolonged, repeated disease course indicating damage of multiple systems.  These manifestations are the various clinical diseases caused by liver function damage.

        Chronic hepatophilic virus disease is clinically a very common and typical virus disease.  These viruses can evoke hepatitis after entering the human body.  In spite of occultation of the virus and chronicity of the infection causing the induced clinical symptoms atypical and, therefore, often being neglected, yet the immune response of the body increases day by day.  The latter condition promotes revelation of clinical symptoms and eventually leads to “hepatomegaly” which is a long lasting sign.  This sign is the best object for the clinician to judge the effectiveness of therapy.

translated by Professor ZHENG Hua En in July 2005