CHIMPANZEE ANTIBODIES TO AUSTRALIA ANTIGEN

THE study of viral hepatitis has been held up by the failure to isolate or serologically identify the active viral agent. Hirschman et al.1 have shown that the Australia antigen2 is present in serum of 74 per cent of patients with serum hepatitis, and they have identified a virus-like particle from electron micrographs of the precipitate of the Australia antigen by antiserum from multi-transfused patients, which they tentatively consider to be the infectious agent. With antiserum in chimpanzees transfused with chimpanzee blood, the Australia antigen in human serum could also be detected with apparent antigenic identity. © 1969 Nature Publishing Group.