Béland K, Lapierre P, Marceau G, Alvarez F. Anti-LC1 autoantibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
J Autoimmun 2004;
22:159-66. [PMID:
14987745 DOI:
10.1016/j.jaut.2003.11.001]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2003] [Revised: 10/20/2003] [Accepted: 11/10/2003] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED
Various autoantibodies have been reported in patients chronically infected by hepatitis C virus. 2% to 10% of theses patients have anti-liver-kidney microsome type 1 (anti-LKM1) autoantibodies. In type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, anti-LKM1 autoantibodies are frequently associated with anti-liver-cytosol type 1 (anti-LC1) autoantibodies.
AIMS
To determine the prevalence of anti-LC1 autoantibodies in a hepatitis C-positive population and characterize their reactivity.
METHODS
146 patients suffering from liver diseases, of which 99 were chronically infected by hepatitis C virus, were tested by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation to detect and characterize anti-LC1 autoantibodies.
RESULTS
12% of this hepatitis C population had anti-LC1 autoantibodies. LC1 positivity by Western blotting was 30% of LC1+ sera. Epitopes were found throughout the protein but linear epitopes were situated in the 395-541 amino acid region of formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase. Three putative conformational epitopes were identified by phage display.
CONCLUSIONS
Anti-LC1 autoantibodies are as prevalent as anti-LKM1 autoantibodies in patients infected with hepatitis C virus and their production is not dependent of anti-LKM1 autoantibodies formation. Autoantibody reactivity against the anti-LC1 antigen is different in hepatitis C than in type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. Anti-LC1 autoantibodies can now be regarded as a serological marker of autoimmunity in chronic hepatitis C infection.
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