199 METABOLIC EFFECTS OF LIVER ARTERIALIZATION (LART) IN RATS WITH PORTA- CAVAL SHUNT (PCS) G. Nassuato ~P .Vassanelli;R. Marchetto;P. Marini ~M. Strazzabosco/R.M. Iemmo- lo,and L Okolicsanvi Istituto di Medicina Interna,-Clinica Chirurgica II,Universit~ di Pado- va, Padova, ITALY.

In rats,LART of the distal stump of the portal vein after PCS is now a current surgical procedure. However little is known about the metabolic changes follow- ing LART,which is performed to improve the well known negative metabolic ef- fects of PCS.We carried out therefore the following experimental procedure: A) sham-operated Sprague-Dawley rats (SO) (n=IO);B)PCS (n=10),according to the me- thod of Lee & Fisher;C)LART with the right renal artery (n=10) ,30 days after the operation,the surviving animals (SO=IO;PCS=7;LART=9) were laparotomized:bi- le and blood samples were collected,20 routine hematochemical parameters were determined by using a sequential multiple analyzer plus computer.Moreover~we measured bile flow (BF),biliary total bile salt,cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations. Results:all parameters considered remained unchanged,except the following: AST ALT Alk.Ph. Trigl. BF

(u/l) (U/l) (U/l) (mg/dl) (pl/min/1OOg b.w.) SO 82+15 36+20 123+41.1 51.3+10 5.1+0.3 PCS -121T25 -76T24 -241T51 ~29¥14 -3.7¥0.2 LART 88~9 39T16 145~37 75~15 4.7~1.5 -significantly different(p<O.O5) versus SO and LAR~.Mean+SD In conclusion our data further substantiate that in rats,~ART reverses many negative effects due to PCS:liver function tests and BF seem to be particularly enhanced,probably related to the restored hepatic blood flow.

200 CHRONIC HEPATITIS B VIRUS L~F~CTION IN )~LTITRANBFUS~ H~DPHILIC CHILDRen.

G. Nebbia! G.A. ~roni! L. Simoni I V. Carnelli let Pediatric Departmen~ of %he University and * Ieti~uti Clinici di Perfesionament0,

Milan, Italy

The occurrence, characteristics and evolution of hepatitis B vi~-us(H~V) infection were eva- luated in 44 hemnphilic children(mean age 8 years). All %he patients were in therapy with com-

mercial factor VIII or IX concentrates. HBV markel-s were tested by RIA. In 24 children KBV in- fection was shown, with a clinically oveI~ acute hepatitis in 4 cases. HBeAr was detectable

16 cases: 7 children cleared it within 6 months, in 2 children the smti~n has been present for less than 6 months. In the remaining 7 ohildren(3~) a chronic evolution of the infection (meaa ee~um HBeA4~ persistence: 6 years), with chronic liver disease, was shown: in 4 children

a rather severe ehronichepatitie developed, in one cizThoeis was present, in two a mild chro- nic hepatitis. Evidence of infection with delta a~ent in 3 children with severe liver disease (including a case with cirrhosis histologically documented) seemed %0 confirm the hiEh pa%ho-

~eniclty of %h~e ~nt. The early age of infection would seem am important factor for predic- ting chronic evolution. Alpha-fetoprotein determinations and abdomin~l ultrasound examinationB gave no evidence of neoplastic transformation.

Our study confirmed the high likelihood im children %0 develop chronic H~V infection: besides,

a possible deranE~ment of %he imm%une system, due to the &ntiE~enic overloa~ of multiple transf~ sions, could ~e am additional factor in this kind of patients.

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