Genetic association of autoimmune hepatitis and human leucocyte antigen in German patients.
OBJECTIVE
To report on our large German collective and updated data of 142 patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) type 1.


METHODS
Key investigations performed were liver biopsy, serum autoantibodies as well as serum markers such as IgG and elevated transaminases. Antinuclear antigen (ANA) and smooth muscle antigen (SMA) autoantibodies characterized type 1 AIH. Type 3 (AIH) was solely characterized by the occurrence of soluble liver antigen/liver-pancreas antigen (SLA/LP) autoantibodies either with or without ANA or SMA autoantibodies.


RESULTS
Most prevalent HLAs were A2 (68 patients, 48%), B8 (63 patients, 44%), C7 (90 patients, 63%), DR3 (49 patients, 38%), DR4 (49 patients, 38%) and DQ2 (42 patients, 30%). Compared to the Italian and North American patients, we found fewer patients with a DQ2 subtype. Furthermore, the B8-DR3-DQ2 human leucocyte antigen (HLA) was also less prominent compared to the North American patients. However, prevalences of B8, DR3, DR4, DR7, DR11 and DR13 were comparable to the Italian and North American patients. Furthermore, we report on an additional subgroup of patients with SLA/LP positive AIH. Generally, in this subgroup of patients the same HLA subtypes were favoured as the AIH type 1.


CONCLUSIONS
Although HLA subtypes were comparable between these three collectives, the German patients were distinct from the Italian and North American patients with respect to DQ2 and from the North American patients with respect to B8-DR3-DQ2 HLA. A clinical correlation, e.g. difference in severity or treatability of AIH type 1, has yet to be determined.
Teufel
Andreas
A
Department of Internal Medicine I, Johannes Gutenberg University, Building 301, Langenbeckstrasse 1, Mainz 55101, Germany.
Wörns
Markus
M
Weinmann
Arndt
A
Centner
Catherine
C
Piendl
Anja
A
Lohse
Ansgar W
AW
Galle
Peter R
PR
Kanzler
Stephan
S
D001324:Autoantigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005858:Germany; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D009656:North America; D011379:Prognosis
D001324:Autoantigens; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C053186:HLA-DQ2 antigen; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; C046431:liver antigen LA-1