Seropositivity and Titers of Anti-Smooth Muscle Actin Antibody Are Associated with Relapse of Type 1 Autoimmune Hepatitis

Foxp3⁺ Treg Cells Are Associated with Pathological Process of Autoimmune Hepatitis by Activating Methylation Modification in Autoimmune Hepatitis Patients

Background

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic hepatic disorder. This study investigated role of Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells (Treg) and methylation-regulated Tregs in AIH pathological processes.

Material/Methods

Forty consecutive patients diagnosed with hepatitis were enrolled and divided into a virus hepatitis (n=20) group and an AIH group (n=20). Twenty healthy individuals were assigned to the healthy control group (HC, n=20), Liver function biomarkers were detected on an automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum auto-antibodies were evaluated using immunofluorescence method. Histopathological evaluation was conducted with liver tissues. Treg cells were counted using FACS flow cytometry. Peripheral lymphocytes surface/intracellular biomarkers, CD4⁺CD25⁺, CD127, and Foxp3, were examined. Serum cytokines were evaluated using cytometric bead array. Methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) was conducted to identify the status of Foxp3 gene methylation.

Results

Levels of liver function biomarkers were significantly increased in the AIH group compared to the HC group (p<0.05). Levels of ANA and ASMA were significantly enhanced in the AIH group compared to the HC group (p<0.05). Other auto-antibodies, including anti-AHA, anti-ribosome P protein, and anti-RO-52, were also discovered in the AIH group. Severe lymphocytic infiltration and inflammatory cells clustering were discovered in AIH patients. There were significantly fewer CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells in the AIH group, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels were significantly decreased compared to the HC group (p<0.05). CD127⁺ Treg and Foxp3⁺ Treg expressions were decreased in the AIH group compared to the HC group (p<0.05). Foxp3 in Treg cells of AIH patients exhibited higher methylation frequency compared to that of HC patients (p<0.05).

Conclusions

Foxp3⁺ regulatory T cells were involved in pathological processes by activating methylation modification in autoimmune hepatitis patients.

Stopping immunosuppressive treatment in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH): Is it justified (and in whom and when)?

BACKGROUND

Initial treatment of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) with prednisolone ± azathioprine is based on randomised controlled trials. Many patients receive long-term immunosuppressive treatment to prevent disease relapse; this strategy has a weaker evidence base.

AIM

To consider whether immunosuppressive treatment (IST) withdrawal in AIH is justified and to develop a rationale for patient selection.

METHODS

We reviewed published papers between 1972 and 2018, which addressed the outcomes of IST withdrawal and/or complications of IST in AIH.

RESULTS

(1) AIH relapse rates after withdrawal of IST vary between 25% and 100%. There is heterogeneity in these studies regarding relapse definition, IST duration prior to withdrawal and criteria for biochemical and histological remission prior to withdrawal. (2) Factors associated with relapse following IST withdrawal include: (a) absence of an identifiable initial disease trigger, (b) presence of other autoimmune diseases, (c) longer time to biochemical remission and (d) elevated serum transaminases on treatment withdrawal. Reports of associations between relapse and age, IST duration and failure of histological remission have been inconsistent. (3) Continued IST reduces risk of AIH relapse over at least 5 years. However, there is no evidence that routine (as opposed to selective) long-term IST improves disease outcome. (4) Patients with AIH have an increased risk of extrahepatic cancer, notably non-melanoma skin cancer, to which long-term IST may contribute. Long-term corticosteroid therapy is associated with weight gain, low-trauma fractures, diabetes and possibly vascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS

While further studies are needed, evidence supports a strategy of IST withdrawal in some patients with AIH who have achieved remission.

Transient Elastography (FibroScan) Performs Better Than Non-Invasive Markers in Assessing Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis in Autoimmune Hepatitis Patients

BACKGROUND Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated chronic liver disease that can lead to severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. Transient elastography (TE, FibroScan) can assess the fibrotic stages of chronic liver diseases by liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Studies on the diagnostic accuracy of FibroScan for the detection of fibrosis in AIH patients are still limited. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study enrolled 108 AIH patients who underwent liver biopsies. Using the METAVIR scoring system as the reference, Spearman's rank correlation was performed to explore the relationship between the markers and stages of fibrosis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy. The optimal LSM cut-off values for predicting the stages of fibrosis were calculated. RESULTS LSM was superior to other non-invasive markers in differentiating the stages of fibrosis in AIH patients. AUROC value of LSM was 0.885 for stage F2, 0.897 for stage F3, and 0.878 for stage F4. The optimal LSM cut-off value was 6.27 kPa for stage F2, 8.18 kPa for F3, and 12.67 kPa for F4. CONCLUSIONS FibroScan is a valuable non-invasive method for the evaluation of liver fibrosis of AIH patients.