Increased serum aminotransferases associated with anti-mitochondrial antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with autoimmune liver disease.
BACKGROUND
Serum aminotransferase activities are increased in many liver diseases, but the causes for the elevation might be difficult to determine. Whether the elevation of aminotransferases correlates with anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with autoimmune liver disease deserves further consideration.


METHODS
A meticulous review was done in a large SLE cohort searching for laboratory features of the presence of AMA. Forty-eight hospitalized SLE patients with AMA and 60 randomly selected SLE patients without AMA as a matched case control were enrolled into the retrospective study. Laboratory data were collected, analyzed and compared in SLE patients with and without AMA.


RESULTS
Serum activities of aminotransferases were significantly increased in the 48 SLE patients with AMA compared with the 60 subjects without AMA. Meanwhile, we found a positive correlation between serum AMA titers and serum aminotransferase activities.


CONCLUSIONS
Although much remains to be learned about the pathogenesis of autoimmune liver disease associated with AMA, it is possible to suggest that AMA might contribute to the elevation of aminotransferases in SLE patients with the progressive disease.
Li
Cheng-Hai
CH
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
Xu
Po-Shi
PS
Wang
Chun-Yan
CY
Zou
Guo-Lin
GL
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase