Studies on autoantibodies of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Anti-NAPA antibodies and other autoantibodies such as ANA, ASMA and AMA were examined in the sera of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), various liver diseases and SLE by immunofluores- cence methods and immunodiffusion test. Non of anti-RNP antibody (ab), anti-SM (ab) and anti SS-B (ab) were detected in AIH. Anti SS-A (ab) alone was detected in the sera of three patients (30%) with AIH, of which one patient complicated Sjogren Syndrome. Also, the patients with other liver diseases except AIH had not the autoantibodies presented above. There is no difference in the incidence of positive LE test, ANA and anti DNA on AIH as compared with SLE. The incidence of positive anti-NAPA (ab) on SLE was higher than that of AIH. On the other hand, the incidence of postivie ASMA on AIR was higher than that on SLE. These results would indicate that AIH is not a part of SLE but the original disease whose pathogenesis is an immunological injury to the liver cell.