Antibodies to hepatitis C virus in autoimmune liver disease: evidence for geographical heterogeneity.
To resolve conflicting reports about the occurrence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AI-CAH), sera from UK and Italian patients were tested with the original anti-HCV assay (Ortho) and a novel anti-HCV assay (UBI) based entirely on synthetic HCV peptides. 28 (60%) of 47 Italian patients with type-1 AI-CAH were anti-HCV-positive by Ortho ELISA, 25 of whom were also strongly positive by the UBI assay. 15 (60%) of 25 UK patients with type-1 AI-CAH were HCV-positive by Ortho ELISA but only 2 were positive by the UBI assay. Similarly, 29 (88%) of 33 Italian patients with type-2 AI-CAH, but 0 of 10 UK patients, were very strongly anti-HCV-positive with the UBI assay. Italian patients with AI-CAH appear to have a high frequency of genuine exposure to HCV, whereas seropositivity by the Ortho HCV ELISA in UK patients is likely to represent a false-positive result. These findings indicate important geographical and/or genetic influences in autoimmune liver disease among different populations.
Lenzi
M
M
Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica, University of Bologna, Italy.
Johnson
P J
PJ
McFarlane
I G
IG
Ballardini
G
G
Smith
H M
HM
McFarlane
B M
BM
Bridger
C
C
Vergani
D
D
Bianchi
F B
FB
Williams
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D006113:United Kingdom
D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D001323:Autoantibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic