Studies on the Immunological Liver Cell Damage : 1. Fixation of anti liver antibody upon rat liver cell membrane

Abstract

In order to study cytotoxic effects of anti-liver antibody, an experiment was performed in vitro to detect fixation of the anti-liver-antibody to the liver cell membrane using antiserum obtained from the rabbit immunized with rat liver supernatant, with the following conclusions: 1. Tanned sheep red cells coated with liver antigen were added to the separated rat liver cells which had been incubated at 37°C for 24 hours and then previously sensitized by the antiserum. The red cells were observed to fix on the liver cell membrane. 2. Polystyren latex particles coated with the rat liver antigen were added to the separated rat liver cells after sensitization by the antiserum. The latex particles were fixed on the liver cell mombrane. From the experiment, it was proved that the antiliver-antibody fixes on the liver cell membrane. 3. An experimental method for detecting immunologically competent cells was deviced to study thier cytotoxic effect upon liver cells. Polystyrene latex particles coated with human liver antigen were mixed with the lymphoid cells obtained from the popliteal lymphnodes of the rat immunized with the antigen, and lymphocyte in the peripheral blood of the patient with chronic hapatic disease. The latex particles were observed to adhere to some of the lymphoid cells.