EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS IN MICE FOLLOWING IMMUNIZATION WITHSYNGENEIC LIVER PROTEINS

In this study, we describe the successful induction of experimental au toimmune hepatitis by immunizing inbred strains of mice with syngeneic liver antigens. Hepatic lesions, presumably based on autoimmune mecha nisms, induced after 3 weekly immunizations were of only moderate degr ee. Of the various mouse strains used, C57BL/6 mice showed the most pr ominent histological changes of the liver, which were accompanied by e levated serum alanine aminotransferase levels. This system offers a po tential model for further investigating experimental autoimmune hepati tis.