Unusually High Titres of Antibodies to Rubella Virus in a Patient with Chronic Hepatitis

Extremely high rubella antibody titres were demonstrated in a 12-year-old boy with chronic persistent hepatitis. The titres were reduced after prednisone treatment, but the haemagglutination-inhibition titre was still abnormally high 18 months after the onset of the disease. The patient and members of his family suffered an exanthematous disease 6 years earlier, which was interpreted clinically as rubella. The implication of these findings is discussed in relation to the etiology and the pathogenesis of the disease.