Abstract
Role of autotallergic mechanism on the chronicity of liver diseases with special reference to histamine, which is said to be one of the chemical media tors and plays a large part in antigen antibody reaction, was investigated experimentally.
Under the administration of homologous liver antigen with histamine to rabbits, liver injury closely resembling chronic active hepatitis could be de veloped, which progressed into liver cirrhosis with pseudolobulus formation. This result may indicate that the progression of chronic hepatitis into liver cirrhosis can be regarded as one process. Estrogen promotes antigen anti body reaction and plays a large part in prolongation and aggregation of liver diseases. Furthermore, liver cell carcinoma was demonstrated in one animal and epithelial hyperplasia of bile ductules in two animals. This fact may sug gest that chronic hepatitis changes into malignant tumor and perpetual anti genic stimulation has a large role in the development and progression of malignant tumor and role of histamine should never be ignored.
