Non-specificity of circulating immune complexes in patients with acute and chronic liver disease

Circulating immune complexes have been described in viral hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis but their significance is unclear. Seventy-three patients with acute and chronic liver diseases were evaluated to determine the specificity of immune complex detection for a given liver disease. Immune complexes were measured by the fluid- and solid-phase Clq-binding assays. They were demonstrated frequently in all patients with liver disease, including those with viral hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, chronic active and persistent hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis and hepatic metastases. The presence of immune complexes was not specific for a given type of liver disease and did not correlate with hepatic dysfunction. We conclude that the detection of immune complexes is of no apparent diagnostic use in liver disease. Further evaluation of the antigen-antibody composition would be required to determine any pathogenic significance of the detected circulating immune complexes.