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A clinical and fundmental study of a new serum antigen (Arai antigen) was performed. The sera from 1,804 patients or controls was tested for the presence of the antigen by immunodiffusion. It was detected in 8 of 13 patients with fulminant hepatitis, 10 of 30 patients with primary hepatic cancer, 20 of 60 patients with hepatic cirrhosis, 10 of 69 patients with acute hepatitis and 7 of 60 patients with chronic active hepatitis. It was rarely detected in patients with nonhepatic diseases and control subjects. The difference of laboratory findings could not be found among patients with acute Arai antigen positive or negative hepatitis. Moreover, there was no correlation between Arai antigen and alpha-fetoprotein. Purified Arai antigen was confirmed to have an inhibitory effect on the E rosette formation in peripheral blood lymphocyte in vitro. These results suggest that Arai antigen is associated with hepatic diseases and may possibly regulate the immune system in vivo.

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