[Study of the antibody to alcohol altered hepatocyte plasma membrane in alcoholic patients]

Significance of the antibody to alcohol altered hepatocyte plasma membrane (AAHM) was studied in various types of alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). AAHM was detected in the sera that were collected within 3 months of alcohol abstinence from patients with various types of ALD, with higher frequency in alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Serum acetaldehyde, gamma-globulin fraction, immunoglobulin A and G were higher in patients positive for AAHM, though the levels of GOT, GPT, mGOT were indifferent of the existence of AAHM. Histologically, hepatocyte ballooning and pericellular fibrosis were frequently seen in patients positive for AAHM, but close relationship between the extent of necrosis and existence of AAHM was not observed. These findings suggest that the occurrence of AAHM is closely related with the functional and morphological changes of the hepatocyte induced by acetaldehyde but not with hepatocyte necrosis.