To further investigate the specificity of the
monoclonal antibodies (48-1 and S-1) associated with NANB
hepatitis, extensive IF studies were carried out on liver biopsy specimens from chimpanzees with experimental
hepatitis A, B, NANB, or D, or from normal chimpanzees. Both 48-1 and S-1
antibodies reacted in the same manner with liver biopsy specimens from 47 of 50 (94%) chimpanzees with acute or chronic NANB
hepatitis and 15 of 18 (83%) chimpanzees with type D
hepatitis. Examinations of serial liver biopsy specimens revealed that the duration of expression of the
antigen reacting with the
antibodies in hepatocytes of chimpanzees infected with NANBV appeared to be longer than that of chimpanzees infected with HDV. By thin section EM, the presence of the microtubular aggregates, identical to those previously described for chimpanzees with NANB
hepatitis and shown by immuno EM to react with the
antibodies, was noted in hepatocytes during the acute phase of
hepatitis D. The
antibodies did not react with liver biopsy specimens from chimpanzees acutely or chronically infected with HBV, or HAV, or from normal chimpanzees. The present results confirm our previous observations with the 48-1 and S-1
antibodies. Furthermore, the finding that these two
antibodies were also associated with
hepatitis D would support the possibility that NANB agents and the HDV may have a similar nature or may elicit a similar host response.