Tissue culture of the sera in human ulcerative colitis

1. Control human sera had no effect on human amnion cell culture. 2. The sera from nineteen of twenty-one patients with ulcerative colitis had a marked cytopathic effect on cell cultures, suggesting an autoimmune effect. The sera of three of these showed an additional cytopathic effect on human amnion cell culture, suggesting a viral-like quality. 3. The sera from patients after total colectomy and protectomy for ulcerative colitis had no effect on cell cultures. 4. Rabbit antisera did not produce demonstrable antibodies or protect against the cytopathic effect in cell culture.