Liver/kidney microsome antibody type 1 and hepatitis C virus infection

Recent studies have shown that hepatitis C virus antibodies are present in a large proportion of patients with autoimmune hepatitis type 2. We have studied 83 patients with liver/kidney microsome antibody-positive type 1 hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus antibodies were sought in every case by second-generation tests (hepatitis C virus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and recombinant immunoblot assay). Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences were sought in 22 patients (12 with recombinant immunoblot assay-positive results and 10 with recombinant immunoblot assay-negative results) by means of polymerase chain reaction and by use of primers located in the 5' noncoding region. Sixty-four patients (77%) had positive results for hepatitis C virus antibodies in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test, and 41 (49.3%) were confirmed by recombinant immunoblot assay. Hepatitis C virus RNA sequences were found in all the recombinant immunoblot assay-positive patients but in none of the 10 who were recombinant immunoblot assay-negative. The recombinant immunoblot assay-negative patients were younger than those who were positive (13 +/- 11 vs. 50 +/- 11 years) and had higher gamma-globulin levels and liver/kidney microsome antibody-positive type 1 titers (61% had a titer of 1:1,000 or more, vs. only 17% of the recombinant immunoblot assay-positive patients).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)