Immunoserological Studies on Experimental Virus Hepatitis 1st Chap. An Immunoserological Study of Antigen-Antibody Reactions on Infection

Studies were made on the antigen-antibody reactions in Ectromelia virus hepatitis and the following results were obtained: 1) Elementary body in the parenchymal cells of the liver was always observed on the third day after the intraperitoneal inoculation of Ectromelia virus, regardless of the amount inoculated. Inclusion body was found in some instances to which a rather larger amount of the virus was inoculated. The changes in chick hemoagglutinin in the blood appeared to be almost similar to those of the elemetary and inclusion bodies. 2) Regardless of the amount of virus inoculated, antivirus complement fixation antibody, which was directly produced by viral infection, and hemoagglutinin inhibitor were noted in an early stage of the infection with their highest titres at 6 th to 10 th days. However, somewhat lower titres of those antibodies in the blood were observed when a larger amount of virus was inoculated. 3) Auto-liver antibody was continuously noted, even rather low titer, during the later stage of the infection (after 21 st day), when a small amount of virus inoculated, and there were marked generalized pathological reactions of the mesenchymal tissue and hyperergic processes such as proliferative demarcation to fibrosis of necrotic parenchymal liver cells. Simultaneously, the auto-liver antibody presented positive cross-reactions with some of soluble infected liver tissue component and liver-phosphatid-antigen (mouse and rabbit). 4) When a small amonnt of virus inoculated the organ-antibodies to soluble infected liver tissue component, which was so-called accompanied substance with infection, were produced in the early stage of infection and had been maintained for a considerable period of time. Changes in the organ-antibodies were almost similar to those of anti-virus antibodies in the early stage and then to those of auto-liver antibodies in the later stage. Heterophile antibody (Paul-Bunnell reaction) was noted in the early stage, while anti-liver phosphatid antibody was noted in the later stage. 5) Changes in γ-globulin were considered to be closely related to the production of antibodies despite the fact that serum protein was affected by infection because of decreased production of albumin in the early stage of infection and also of participation of globulin from unspecific necrosis of parenchymal liver cells. 6) When a small amount of virus inoculated the positive direct-Coomb's antibody, which was an incomplete antibody, appeared in the early stage of the infection. In view from the changes in the positive direct Coomb's antibody, not only such incomplete antibody in specific γ-globulin type but also those factors as adhesion of virus to erythrocytes and influence of affected serum albumin by infection upon surface potential of erythrocytes appeared to play significant roles in the direct Coomb's test. 7) In view from the alternations of the antigen antibody system and histological findings in the viral infection, different mechanisms of antibody production between anti-virus and auto-liver antibodies were postulated. 8) When a large amount of virus inoculated, histological feature of the liver and spleen of the infected mouse was a rapidly progressing unspecific exudative inflammation like Arthus's phenomenon. When a small amount of virus inoculated, a relatively mild hyperergic productive inflammation in which colliquative necrotic foci of parenchymal cells were demarcated by mesenchymal cells and then became nodular was noted. 9) At any rate, an allergic process was observed in the Ectromelia virus infection regardless of the amount of the virus inoculated since that was a feature of the virus as a obligatory parasite.