Results of Heterophile Antibody Agglutination and Kahn Tests in Patients with Viral Hepatitis.

Summary Heterophile antibody agglutination, Kahn, and cold agglutinin tests were performed in 2 groups of patients with viral hepatitis. Sixteen out of 508 patients (3%) developed positive heterophile antibody tests with titers of 1:56 which were reduced to 1:7 or negative by absorption on boiled guinea pig kidney. A rise and/or fall in titer of antibody was demonstrable in serial weekly determinations. Out of 388 patients who were known not to have syphilis, 6 (1.5%) developed positive Kahn tests, and 10 others (2.5%) had doubtful tests. Two out of 323 patients had cold agglutinins present in a titer of 1:32. The relatively small number of positive heterophile antibody agglutination and Kahn tests is in contrast to reports of others 2 5 who have found a considerably higher percentage of positive tests.