Specificity of antinuclear antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
To study the specific autoantibodies against nuclear antigens in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).


METHODS
Sera from 21 patients with PBC were tested for antinuclear antibody (ANA) by indirect immunofluorescence on human epithelial (HEp)-2 cells, and for antibodies to various nuclear antigens by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using different purified proteins or recombinant proteins as antigens.


RESULTS
ANA detected in 10 of 21 patients (48%) with PBC included five anti-centromere antibody (ACA), two speckled, two homogeneous and one nuclear dot staining. ACA were present in 24% of PBC patients. By ELISA, anti-histone antibodies were detected in 81% of PBC patients, anti-ssDNA antibodies in 71% and anti-dsDNA in 10%, anti-topoisomerase-1 antibodies in 24%, anti-Sm/RNP antibodies in 24%, anti-La-48(SS-A) antibodies in 21%, and anti-Ro-60(SS-A) and anti-Ro-52(SS-A) antibodies in 30% and 25%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The high frequencies of various antibodies directed against intracellular proteins and nucleic acids in patients with PBC suggests that PBC is a multisystem autoimmune disease which is similar to other systemic autoimmune diseases.
Chou
M J
MJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical and Dental College, Taichung, Taiwan.
Lee
S L
SL
Chen
T Y
TY
Tsay
G J
GJ
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000276:immunology*
D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D006657:Histones; C035356:SS-A antibodies; C035357:SS-B antibodies; D004247:DNA