Prevalence of alpha-fodrin antibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and Sjögren syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is associated with various extrahepatic manifestations. Antibodies against alpha-fodrin are associated with sicca symptoms and may valuable diagnostic markers in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) lacking Ro antibodies. The frequency and role of alpha-fodrin antibodies in patients with chronic HCV infection are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of alpha-fodrin antibodies in HCV-infected patients with SS.


METHODS
Alpha-fodrin antibodies were detected more often in hepatitis C patients (25%; n=142) than in HBV-infected individuals (8%; n=49) and healthy controls (6%; n=174) (p<0.01). Based on these findings, we investigated the frequency of sicca symptoms in a second cohort and studied other antibodies associated with SS.


RESULTS
HCV-infected individuals showed sicca symptoms in 53% of cases as determined by the Saxon and Schirmer tests, which was more frequent than in healthy controls (1%, p<0.01) but not in patients with autoimmune liver disease (51%). Antibodies specific for Ro (SS-A) were significantly more common in patients with autoimmune liver disease than in HCV-infected patients and healthy controls (16% versus 1% and 0%, p<0.003). SS was found in 18% of patients with HCV, in 15% of patients with autoimmune liver disease and in 1% of healthy controls. However, we found no correlation between sicca symptoms and the presence of antibodies against alpha-fodrin, Ro and La.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic HCV infection show a high prevalence of sicca symptoms and antibodies against alpha-fodrin. However, neither the frequency nor the severity of symptoms correlated with the presence of alpha-fodrin antibodies.
Potthoff
Andrej
A
Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
Witte
Torsten
T
Rifai
Kinan
K
Hoy
Ludwig
L
Deterding
Katja
K
Feyerabend
Sandra
S
Manns
Michael P
MP
Wedemeyer
Heiner
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D013049:Spectrin
D001323:Autoantibodies; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D013049:Spectrin