[Immunopathological phenomenona in liver diseases]

More than 400 patients with acute and chronic liver diseases as well as non-hepatic diseases (control group) were examined for the existence of antibodies against mitochondria, smooth musculature and cytoblasts with the help of the immunofluorescence-serological method. The proof of the hepatitis-B antigen was carried out by means of the transmigration-electrophoresis. Auto-antibodytitres larger than 1 : 160 (limiting titres) could be established only in the chronically aggressive hepatitides and the chronically destructing non-purulent cholangitides. Whilst in the chronically destructing non-purulent cholangitides dominate high mitochondrial antibody-titres, in the chronically aggressive hepatitides the antibodies against smooth musculature and/or cytoblasts are dominating. When the hepatitis-B-antigen was present in all groups of diagnosis auto-antibody titres of 1 : 160 were not transgressed. The kind of the antibody-spectrum and the size of the antibody-titres seem to be suitable for the differential diagnosis. High mitochondrial antibody-titres in women are suspicious of a chronically destructing non-purulent cholangitis. High titres of antinuclear antibodies or such ones against smooth musculature might be a reference to the so-called auto-immune form of the chronically aggressive hepatitis. For a still better differentiation of the chronic liver diseases the determination of these antibodies seems to be valuable.