A new antigen/antibody system--the polymerized albumin and antialbumin antibodies

Two new antigenic determinants have been identified on serum albumin molecules originating from hepatic patients. The same antigenic determinants may be induced on serum albumins of different species by in vitro aging or glutaraldehyde treatment. In patients with liver cell dysfunction the new antigenic sites of the albumin molecules induce the synthesis of specific antipolymerized albumin antibodies (AAA) identified by precipitation and hemagglutination methods. The anti-polymerized albumin precipitins (AA-P) reveal with high specificity and sensitivity the presence and severity of liver cell dysfunction. In patients with active liver diseases (acute viral hepatitis and chronic aggressive hepatitis), both precipitins and agglutinins show high titers, while in patients with severe liver diseases and long evolution or in old-agers AA-P positivity is seldom associated with anti-polymerized albumin agglutinins.