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Anti-Nuclear Antibody Screening Using HEp-2 Cells
13:01

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Published on: June 23, 2014

Clinical characteristics of patients with autoimmune hepatitis seropositive for anticentromere antibody

Takashi Himoto1, Masayuki Murota, Hirohito Yoneyama

  • 1Departments of Gastroenterology and Neurology, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Kagawa, Japan.

Hepatology Research : the Official Journal of the Japan Society of Hepatology
|July 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients with anticentromere antibodies (ACA) show a higher frequency of concurrent autoimmune diseases and lower immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels. However, ACA presence does not define a distinct AIH entity.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases

Background:

  • Primary biliary cirrhosis patients with anticentromere antibody (ACA) often develop portal hypertension.
  • Clinical characteristics of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) with ACA positivity are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical features of AIH patients positive for ACA (ACA-AIH).
  • To compare ACA-AIH patients with AIH patients positive for other antinuclear antibody (ANA) patterns (other-AIH).

Main Methods:

  • AIH diagnosis based on the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group scoring system.
  • ACA seropositivity determined by immunofluorescence assay.
  • Histological activity index (HAI) used for grading and staging liver histology.

Main Results:

  • Eight of 47 (17%) AIH patients were ACA-positive.
  • ACA-AIH patients had a significantly higher frequency of concurrent autoimmune diseases (75% vs 36%).
  • ACA-AIH patients showed significantly lower mean immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels (2176 vs 3013 mg/dL).
  • No significant differences observed in age, sex, disease onset, hepatic failure, relapse rates, ANA titers, HAI scores, or HLA-DR4 positivity.

Conclusions:

  • ACA positivity in AIH is associated with increased concurrent autoimmune diseases and lower serum IgG levels.
  • The emergence of ACA in AIH does not represent a distinct clinical entity.
  • Further research may clarify the specific role of ACA in AIH pathogenesis.
Abstract

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