Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C.
- Author:
Byung Cheol SONG
;
Soo Hyun YANG
;
Young Hwa CHUNG
;
Yung Sang LEE
;
Dong Jin SUH
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Autoantibody;
Hepatitis C virus
- MeSH:
Autoantibodies*;
Autoimmune Diseases;
Biochemistry;
Discrimination (Psychology);
Genotype;
Hepacivirus;
Hepatitis C, Chronic*;
Hepatitis, Autoimmune;
Hepatitis, Chronic*;
Humans;
Liver;
Prevalence*;
Rheumatoid Factor
- From:The Korean Journal of Hepatology
1999;5(3):200-207
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is often associated with extrahepatic autoimmune disease, and autoantibodies such as anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) or anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASA). The presence of autoantibodies may make discrimination between chronic hepatitis C with autoimmune features and type 1 autoimmune hepatitis difficult. We studied the prevalence of autoantibodies in patients with chronic HCV infection and their clinical significance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ANA, ASA, anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA), anti-microsomal antibody (AmA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL) and lupus anti-coagulant (LA) were tested in 116 patients (80 chronic hepatitis C, 36 liver cirrhosis). Genotypes of HCV were determined in 25 patients by INNO LiPA. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of autoantibody was 65.5%. The most common autoantibody was aCL (34.5%), followed by ANA (25%), RF (18%), LA (15.5%), ASA (6.9%), anti-microsomal antibody (6%) and AMA (1%). The positive rate of either ANA or ASA was 30.2%, but both were positive in 1.7% only. There was no difference in the demographic features, biochemistry, HCV genotypes and disease status between autoantibody-positive and autoantibody-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: Autoantibodies were commonly found in patients with chronic HCV infection. But, the presence of autoantibodies may be a non-specific finding in chronic hepatitis C infection without clinical significance.
