Studies on circulating soluble immune complexes of the liver disease. 2. Serum inhibitory activity of polyclonal rheumatoid factor binding to IgG-sepharose.

Circulating immune complexes were tested in the liver disease by measuring polyclonal rheumatoid factor (pRF) inhibition activity. The test is based on the inhibition of 125I-pRF binding to IgG-p-azobenzamidoethyl Sepharose 6B. Normal levels of the test were less than 23%. The inhibition activity in sera with liver disease was found to correlate with severity of the disease, as defined by histological criteria. There were correlations of the activity with serum gamma-globulin concentration, seropositivities for rheumatoid factor and hepatitis B antigen.