1. We prepared samples of
antigen for skin test from the
spleen of mice inoculated with our first
strain of virus that had been isolated from a patient of epidemic hepatitis and firmly fixed.
2. The antigen gives a
specific dermal reaction for epidemic hepatitis.
3. The skin test is useful for
clinical diagnosis of epidemic hepatitis. It is negative in the beginning weeks (up to the second week) of illness and then becomes partly positive in the middle period (the third and the fourth week) and finally wholly positive in the later weeks.
4. The skin test is useful for the
epidemiological study, as the positive responses keep on for many years.
5. The dermal reaction contributes to the
indentification of our strain of virus as the causative agent of epidemic hepatitis.
6. The reaction demonstrates that a state of
specific allergy consists in epidemic hepatitis. The reaction demonstrates the period of its appearance and also its duration. These facts have a great meaning for clinico-pathological consideration of this illness.
7. The reaction is of great value in
clinical consideration of chronic liver diseases especially of chronic hepatopathy and so-called chronic cholangio-hepatitis.
8. At present we consider the spleen of mice inoculated with our strain of virus may be
the best source for preparing the skin test antigen for epidemic hepatitis.
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