Auto-antibodies to the asialoglycoprotein receptor in sera of children with auto-immune hepatitis.
Most studies on the prevalence of asialoglycoprotein antibodies have involved adults. In this study the prevalence of antibodies to the human asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) was determined in 63 children with auto-immune hepatitis. It was shown that 75% of those with auto-immune hepatitis type 1 and 40% of those with auto-immune hepatitis type 2 were positive and the presence of anti-ASGP-R auto-antibodies, at a mean titre of 1:1,600 and 1:1,000 respectively. No statistical significance was found between anti-ASGP-R positive and negative patients with respect to the median age at onset, proportion of females and ALT levels. However, the titre of anti-ASGP-R antibodies correlated significantly with hypergammaglobulinaemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Anti-asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies are frequently present in the sera of children with auto-immune hepatitis, particularly type 1, The presence of these antibodies is an indirect marker of inflammatory activity.
Hajoui
O
O
Service de Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Debray
D
D
Martin
S
S
Alvarez
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D001212:Asialoglycoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000032:analysis
D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D001212:Asialoglycoproteins; D001323:Autoantibodies; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005719:gamma-Globulins