INCIDENCE OF AUTOANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE LIVER DISEASES AND CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Detection of circulating autoantibodies provides valuable diagnostic criteria for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). In this study, a panel of autoantibodies (ANA, ASMA, AMA) and ANCA was determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay in 191 patients, including those with AIH type 1 (n = 42), with PBC (n = 39), with overlapping AIH-1/PBC syndrome (n = 20), and 100 patients with viral hepatitis С (HCV). Autoantibodies against PDC/AMA-M2, M2-3E, PML, Sp100, gp210, SSA-Ro52, SLA/LP, LC-1 were detected by means of immune blotting in 53 patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AIH, 19; PBC, 23; AIH/PBC, 11). ANA were detected in 88.1% of AIH-1 patients, 89.7% of PBC cases, and 100% of combined AIH-1/PBC syndrome, with highest ANA titers observed in the latter group. In patients with HCV, ANA were detected in 20%, and ASMA in 2% of the cases.ASMA and ANCA were found in monovariant AIH only (61.9% for ASMA, р < 0.001), and 35.7% for ANCA (р < 0.01). Anti-SLA/LP were detected in 15% of AIH patients, mostly with negative ANA and ASMA. PDC/AMA-M2 were identified in all patients with PBC and AIH-1/PBC, whereas AMA was detectable in 84.6% of PBC patients. Anti-M2-3E antibodies were found only in patients with PBC including those with an overlap syndrome. Occurence of detectable antibodies to gp210, Sp100, PML and SSA-Ro52 was similar in all groups. In our study, we have not confirmed a view that anti-gp210 and anti-Sp100 antibodies are highly specific for primary biliary cirrhosis.