Non-organ specific autoantibodies associated with chronic C virus hepatitis.
Recently antibodies to hepatitis C virus were detected in sera of chronic active hepatitis patients, with anti-smooth muscle autoantibodies or with anti-liver/kidney microsomal type 1 autoantibodies. As the latter were used to differentiate autoimmune chronic active hepatitis from chronic non-A, non-B virus hepatitis, it was mainly important to discover if autoantibodies were associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The sera of 272 chronic hepatitis C patients were screened by indirect immunofluorescence for non-organ specific autoantibodies. Antinuclear antibodies and anti-smooth muscle autoantibodies were more frequent in chronic hepatitis C patients than in blood donors (n = 100). Anti-liver/kidney microsomal type 1 autoantibodies were not detected in the sera of the blood donors, in the 74 hepatitis B patients or in the 30 alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhotic patients' sera tested as controls. They were detected in 14 chronic hepatitis C patients. These antibodies were compared in immunodiffusion to anti-liver/kidney microsomal type 1 autoantibodies sera obtained from type-2 autoimmune chronic active hepatitis patients and an identity reaction was observed. Chronic hepatitis C patients without or with anti-liver/kidney microsomal type 1 autoantibodies, did not differ in age, sex ratio, transaminases and gammaglobulin level, risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection, association with other autoimmune diseases. These patients differed significantly from type-2 autoimmune chronic active hepatitis patients. We conclude that: (i) in some chronic hepatitis C patients the pattern and the titer of autoantibodies may create confusion with an autoimmune chronic active hepatitis; (ii) There is no serological evidence for a hepatitis C virus infection in true type-2 autoimmune chronic active hepatitis.
Abuaf
N
N
Service d'Immunologie et d'Hématologie Biologique, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Rothschild, France.
Lunel
F
F
Giral
P
P
Borotto
E
E
Laperche
S
S
Poupon
R
R
Opolon
P
P
Huraux
J M
JM
Homberg
J C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003600:Cytosol / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000276:immunology; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D012737:Sex Factors
D000906:Antibodies; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; C060729:anti-liver kidney microsome antibody