[Virus and autoimmunity with emphasis on liver diseases]

The dualism virus pathogenesis and autoimmune pathogenesis in liver disease is given up increasingly. A survey is given about the development of autoimmunity and virus induction of the autoimmune hepatitis. The hypothesis of virus induction of autoimmune hepatitis put forward by Storch 1975 (19) is unproven up to now, but the concept of virus-associated autoimmune hepatitis put forward by Storch 1980 (23) is acknowledged today. First of all, antibodies against endoplasmic reticulum (liver and kidney microsomes) type 1, liver ribosomes, and liver cell cytoplasm are regarded as markers of a hepatitis C virus-associated autoimmune hepatitis. At present it is unknown, if antibodies against the surface of tongue epithelium, basal cells of squamous epithelium, Golgi apparatus, and nerve cells are further suitable markers.