Autolymphocytotoxins (CoCoCy) in different forms of hepatitis and cirrhosis (author's transl)

Abstract

Sera of altogether 282 patients with different forms of hepatitis and cirrhosis were screened for cold reacting complement dependant auto-lympho-cytotoxins (CoCoCy). These antibodies are 19S-IgM-immunoglobins and have no HLA-antigen-specificity. CoCoCy occurred in 48% of the patients with chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH), in 14% of the patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) and in intermediate rates in the sera of patients with acute hepatitis. No correlations was found between CoCoCy and hepatitis B-antigen (HB-Ag). CoCoCy could be demonstrated also in 20% of the sera of a HB-Ag-positive and in 6% of a HB-Ag-negative control group. The serum concentration of CoCoCy is low. CoCoCy seems to be of T-cell-specificity and to reflect the overall-immunoreactivity without relation to the specificity of the antigenic stimulus. Thus demonstration of CoCoCy may be of pathogeneic and pathodynamic rather than of diagnostic interest.