title: Autoantibodies to asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) in patients with autoimmune liver diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The liver asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) is the only organ-specific autoantigenic target in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients and corresponding autoantibodies (Abs) have been suggested aiding in the serology of autoimmune liver diseases (ALD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) employing purified rabbit ASGPR was used to detect ASGPR Abs in patients with ALD and controls. ASGPR Ab was determined in sera from 172 patients with AIH type 1, AIH type 2 (n=42), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) (n=113), cryptogenic liver disease (n=30), toxic liver disease (n=11), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (n=27), HCV infection (n=25), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (n=43) and 100 blood donors. ASGPR Ab positivity was compared with AIH-related Abs (ANA, ASMA, Abs to LKM-1, LC-1, and SLA/LP) in patients with AIH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with AIH-1 and AIH-2 demonstrated an ASGPR Ab prevalence of 29.1% and 16.7%, respectively. ASGPR Ab positivity in patients with AIH-1 and AIH-2 was not significantly different to those in patients with PSC and HCV (p>0.05, respectively). ASGPR Ab levels in all study cohorts were significantly different with the highest medians in patients with AIH, PSC, and HCV infection (p<0.0001). ASGPR Ab can be found as only AIH-specific Ab determined by LIA and ELISA in 24.4% of AIH patients (48/197).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The novel ASGPR Ab ELISA is a specific diagnostic tool for ASGPR Ab detection in AIH. In addition to AIH, patients with PSC can demonstrate elevated ASGPR Ab amongst those with ALD suggesting a tolerance break to ASGPR in PSC.
authors.affiliation: Allergologia e Immunologia Clinica, A.O. S. Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Villalta
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, King's College London School of Medicine at King's College Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mytilinaiou
authors.affiliation: GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elsner
authors.affiliation: GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hentschel
authors.affiliation: GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuccato
authors.affiliation: GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Somma
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schierack
authors.affiliation: GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany; Faculty of Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany. Electronic address: dirk.roggenbuck@b-tu.de.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roggenbuck
authors.affiliation: Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, King's College London School of Medicine at King's College Hospital, London, UK; Department or Rheumatology, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bogdanos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor / Q000276:immunology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011817:Rabbits; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D037263:Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: AIH; ASGPR; Asialoglycoprotein receptor; Autoantibody; Autoimmune hepatitis