AUTOANTIBODY RESPONSES TO LIVER-SPECIFIC LIPOPROTEIN IN MICE

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 43  (2) , 219-226
Abstract
Autoantibody to the hepatocyte membrane antigen, liver-specific lipoprotein (LSP) was induced in mice by immunization with LSP-containing protein preparations from human, rat, rabbit and mouse liver and also with purified allogeneic LSP. Each strain of mice used (C57B1, BALB/c C3H) showed the capacity to produce high titer autoantibody to LSP. Autoantibody to LSP demonstrated by passive hemagglutination was absorbed by normal mouse hepatocytes but not by kidney or spleen cells and reacted with the cell membrane of normal mouse hepatocytes by immunofluorescence. The liver was examined histologically in all mice and where inflammation was found it was attributable to the Freund''s complete adjuvant used in immunization rather than liver protein immunogen. The demonstration of high titer autoantibody to LSP in mice without associated hepatitis contrasts with chronic hepatitis in man and experimental chronic hepatitis in rabbits where autoantibodies to LSP were implicated in disease pathogenesis.