[Respiratory function disorders during hepatopathies with immunity involvement]

A respiratory functional test was done systematically on 24 patients with chronic hepatitis and was found normal in only 2 cases. It showed an alteration of the transfer in 14 patients and a syndrom of hyperinflation in 8 others. Despite the histopathological proof it seems that the transfer alteration could be attributed to diffuse interstitial pulmonary lesions. They have already been noted in chronic hepatitis by several authors. The pathogeny of this interstitial involvement probably implied immunity phenomenons including the participation of the antigen Australia or others. As for the hyperinflation syndrome observed in 4 patients in the absence of any bronchopulmonary history, it could reveal an emphysema, which, so far, had not been seen associated to chronic hepatitis.