Complement fixation activities with rat tissue antigens of sera in hepatic diseases.

Complement (C•Œ) fixation activity with use of rat tissue antigens was deter mined on sera in various diseases including hepatic diseases and malignant tumor. High C•Œ fixation activity was found in sera of various disease states, especially in the presence of rat liver homogenate. Patients with hepatic disease or malignant tumor showed higher activity than that in other diseases and in normal subjects. In the group of acute hepatitis, the majority of the activity was found in 19 S globulin and reduced considerably by preceding treatment of serum with C•Œ. Latex coated with hepatitis candidate viruses was agglutinated by these sera. In chronic hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis, both 19 S and 7 S globulins displayed the activity. The activity existing in 7 S globulin was resistant to preceding treat ment with C•Œ and was reduced by absorption with specific anti-tissue serum. From these results, this activity was regarded as partly specific to immune reaction between serum and tissue antigens, although the accurate roles of these antibodies in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis and hepatic cirrhosis could not be clarified.