[Detection of tissue antibodies and long-term prognosis in liver diseases--a catamnestic matched-pair study]

Of 1270 consecutive patients with liver diseases of various types we have examined the blood serum on autoimmune antibodies against cell nuclei (ANA), smooth muscle (SMA) and vascular endothelium. 98 patients (7.7%) had antibodies of one of the above. These patients were matched with patients with the same liver diagnosis without antibodies following the matched pair technique. 3-5 years later both were examined by the family doctor. It remained a collection of 58 pairs. The examined criteria were compared pair by pair. We conclude the existence of autoimmune antibodies from type ANA, SMA or vascular endothelium is without prognostic prediction. The outcome of chronic active hepatitis was in majority benign, but the outcome of alcohol-toxic hepatitis was bad, because the people were unable to stop the alcoholism.