[A study on gastric mucosa damage, antigen location, and virus dissociation in patients with epidemic hemorrhagic fever].

Gastric mucosa damage was investigated with techniques of gastroscopy, gastric biopsy, antigen location with immunohistochemical enzyme staining and virus dissociation in 135 patients with epidemic hemorrhagic fever (EHF). We found that the major pathologic finding in gastric mucosa is hemorrhage of squamous shape. EHF virus antigen exists in epithelial cytoplasm of the superficial layer and lamina propria of gastric mucosa and the virus is dissociated from gastric mucosa. The virus is identified as of field-rat serotype with electronmicroscopy and monoclonal antibody techniques. These results suggest that it is necessary to start antivirus therapy early and to give prophylactic measures to prevent gastric mucosa damage and upper digestive tract bleeding.