Liver/kidney microsome antibody type 1 and hepatitis C virus infection.
Recent studies have shown that hepatitis C virus antibodies are present in a large proportion of patients with autoimmune hepatitis type 2. We have studied 83 patients with liver/kidney microsome antibody-positive type 1 hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus antibodies were sought in every case by second-generation tests (hepatitis C virus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and recombinant immunoblot assay). Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences were sought in 22 patients (12 with recombinant immunoblot assay-positive results and 10 with recombinant immunoblot assay-negative results) by means of polymerase chain reaction and by use of primers located in the 5' noncoding region. Sixty-four patients (77%) had positive results for hepatitis C virus antibodies in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, and 41 (49.3%) were confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay. Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences were found in all the recombinant immunoblot assay-positive patients but in none of the 10 who were recombinant immunoblot assay-negative. The recombinant immunoblot assay-negative patients were younger than those who were positive (13 +/- 11 vs. 50 +/- 11 years) and had higher gamma-globulin levels and liver/kidney microsome antibody-positive type 1 titers (61% had a titer of 1:1,000 or more, vs. only 17% of the recombinant immunoblot assay-positive patients).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Lunel
F
F
Service de Bactério-virologie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Abuaf
N
N
Frangeul
L
L
Grippon
P
P
Perrin
M
M
Le Coz
Y
Y
Valla
D
D
Borotto
E
E
Yamamoto
A M
AM
Huraux
J M
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D001949:Bretylium Compounds; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001949:Bretylium Compounds; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; C060729:anti-liver kidney microsome antibody; C025210:iodobenzyltrimethylammonium; D000410:Alanine Transaminase