Successful treatment of decompensated chronic viral hepatitis by bursal disease virus vaccine

Three cases of women with chronic liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B (two) and C (one) viral infections, were followed up to twelve pars after d iagnosis. As conventional therapy was ineffective and the patients progress ed into decompensated liver disease, they were superinfected with massive d oses of an attenuated variant (MTH-68/B) of the apathogenic avian Bursal Di sease virus (cr double-stranded RNA virus from the Birnaviridae family). Cl inical symptoms and biochemical abnormalities were resolved in two patients following few months of virus treatment. Cirrhosis was stabilized and sign ificant clinical improvement was achieved in the third patient-who before t he virus therapy was moribund with recurring, diuretic-resistant ascites, v ariceal bleedings, portal encephalopathy and renal failure. To our knowledg e, these an the first recorded cases of decompensated chronic viral hepatit is which went to long-lasting ren remission or were stabilized by superinfe ction with an apathogenic virus.