The Relation of Pathological Changes of Liver Tissue to Electrophoretic Findings in Serum from Horses affected with Equine Infections Anemia

Abstract

The relationships between the histopathological changes of liver and the electrophoretic findings (a decrease of albumin and an increase of γ-globulin) in serum protein were investigated on liver tissue and sera which had been obtained from 36 horses affected with equine infectious anemia.It was found that the strength of histopathological changes of liver tissue was closely connected with both the decrease of albumin and the increase of γ-globulin. Especially, the findings of swelling and increase of reticulo-endotherial-system (RES) and appearance of histiocytes in the sinusoid of hepatic lobulus showed clear relation to the decrease of albumin and the increase of γ-globulin. The degree of infiltration of lymphoid cells showed also some relation to the increase of γ-globulin. It should be considered that the decrerse of albumin appeared secondarily to the increase of γ-globulin. It could be presumed, therefore that the increase of activity of RES caused that of γ-globulin. This thought is different from that of lymphocyte-theory and plasma-cell-theory. It is possible, however, to presume that the antibody-globulin may be produced by lymphocytes or plasma cells, and that the abnormal γ-globulin may be produced by activated RES.