Experimental Acute and Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Abstract

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) significantly increased the mortality of mice with experimental acute viral hepatitis due to reovirus type 3 or murine hepatitis virus type 3 infection. In other experiments it converted a subclinical hepatitis to an overt illness with significant mortality. The clinical course of experimental chronic hepatitis induced by reovirus type 3 was not influenced by the administration of antithymocyte globulin. Bilirubinuria was detected throughout the acute and chronic phases both in treated and in untreated mice. The livers of mice receiving ATG during acute hepatitis showed more extensive hepatocellular necrosis and mononuclear cell infiltration than those receiving virus without ATG. In contrast, in chronic hepatitis the degree of hepatocellular necrosis and inflammatory reaction in the livers of mice was not altered by ATG. Fibrosis, but not cirrhosis, was found in the chronic phase. Viral isolation attempts were successful throughout the acute phase but not in the chronic phase. Complement-fixation, immunodiffusion, and immunoelectrophoretic techniques failed to demonstrate evidence of circulating antiliver antibody in the sera of mice having chronic hepatitis.