Autoantigenic specificities of liver mitochondrial membranes.

Abstract

Naturally-occurring and carbon-tetrachloride induced anti-mitochondria autoantibodies were studied in rats in order to determine their inner and/or outer mitochondrial membrane specificities. Fourteen per cent of the rats possessed naturally-occurring, heat-labile autoantibody to inner mitochondrial membrane while 36% possessed autoantibody to outer mitochondrial membrane. Three days following the subcutaneous administration of carbon tetrachloride, 40% of the rats had autoantibody to inner membrane while 100% had autoantibody to outer membrane. The increased autoantibody levels represented increases in both heat-labile and heat-stable autoantibodies. Based on absorption experiments, the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes were found to possess unique autoantigenic determinants with no detectable cross reaction.