[Post-transfusion hepatitis and its sequelae in the treatment of hemophilia].

As a result of the frequent application of factor VIII and IX concentrates of single donor cryoprecipitates as well as of concentrates from large plasma pools a very important side-effect became evident: the transmission of serum hepatitis in its two forms B and Non A Non B. Dependent on the factor dosage, up to 100% of the patients showed signs of an active hepatitis or contact of the defense system with hepatitis viruses. With increasing frequency of chronic hepatitis (65%) there is also an increase in the aggravation to liver cirrhosis which manifests itself 13 years earlier than in the normal population. In future, greatest attention will have to be devoted to avoiding the transmission of hepatitis and other viral infections by concentrates of clotting factors.