title: A re-examination of patients with previously detected autoantibodies to smooth muscle.
abstract: A group of patients which previously had been found to possess smooth muscle antibody (SMA) activity was re-examined for persistence of the autoantibody. The mean observation time was four years (range 0.5-9 years). Thirty out of 140 patients, who initially had SMA associated with rheumatic or other symptoms, had autoantibody activity at re-examination. Most were low in titer, and none of the 30 had developed chronic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with SMA at the first testing were analyzed because of liver pathology. Five had CAH at that time. SMA in low titer associated with liver pathology was a transient phenomenon. SMA in high titer combined with liver pathology seems to be a persistent condition with respect to both parameters, although no additional patients developed CAH between the first testing and re-examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jorde
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skogen
authors.forename: O P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Rekvig
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000276:immunology*; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001663:Bilirubin