[The value of antimitochondrial antibody and its subtypes in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis].
OBJECTIVE
A study on the value of antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) and its subtypes anti-M2, anti-M4, and anti-M9 in diagnosing primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).


METHODS
Antimitochondrial antibody was detected by indirect immunofluorescence and anti-M2, anti-M4 and anti-M9 by Western blotting. AMA and anti-M2 of 78 PBC patients, of 35 non-PBC hepato-biliary disease patients and 20 healthy controls were studied and anti-M2, anti-M4 and anti-M9 were studied in 30 of the 78 PBC patients.


RESULTS
96.2% (75/78) of PBC patients were AMA positive and 94.9% (74/78) of PBC patients were anti-M2 positive. Only three among the 35 non-PBC patients were positive for AMA (one with very low titre). None of the 35 non-PBC patients was anti-M2 positive. AMA and anti-M2 were negative in all the healthy controls. Among the 30 anti-M2 positive patients, 16 patients were anti-M4 positive (16/30, 53.3%) and 4 patients were anti-M9 positive (4/30, 13.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
AMA and its subtypes (special anti-M2) are important sero-immunological markers for the diagnosis of PBC.
Yao
Ding-Kang
DK
Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Immunology Center, Chang Zheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China. yaodingkang@yahoo.com.cn
Xie
Wei-Fen
WF
Chen
Wei-Zhong
WZ
Liu
Hai-Ying
HY
Tu
Xiao-Qing
XQ
Fan
Li-Ying
LY
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies