Korean J Hepatol > Volume 5(3); 1999 > Article
The Korean Journal of Hepatology 1999;5(3): 200-207.
만성 C형 간질환 환자에서 자가항체의 발현 빈도와 임상적 의의 ( Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C )
Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Autoantibodies in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
Byung Cheol Song,Soo Hyun Yang,Young Hwa Chung,Yung Sang Lee,Dong Jin Suh
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
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. (Korean J Hepatol 1999;5:200-207)
KeyWords: Autoantibody, Hepatitis C virus

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