Non-specific immunological abnormalities and association of autoimmune diseases in idiopathic portal hypertension. A study by questionnaire.
A large survey by questionnaire of idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) in Japan disclosed that 11.9% of 160 cases were associated with one or two autoimmune diseases, and 26.3% of them disclosed hypergammaglobulinemia. Patients with IPH also frequently showed one or more autoantibodies in the serum, such as antinuclear or anti-smooth muscle antibodies. These findings overlapped frequently in the same patient. These data imply that immunological disturbance and/or chronic antigenic stimulation are related to the pathogenesis of IPH, though the exact immunological mechanisms remain unclear. It will be necessary to study more specific immunological reactions in IPH.
Second Department of Pathology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Japan.
K
K
Saito
Y
Y
Nakanuma
K
K
Takegoshi
G
G
Ohta
Y
Y
Obata
K
K
Okuda
H
H
Kameda
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001323:Autoantibodies