Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 335, Issue 8684, 3 February 1990, Pages 258-259
The Lancet

MEDICAL SCIENCE
Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis C virus infection

https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(90)90070-LGet rights and content

Abstract

The prevalence of serum antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 46 patients seropositive for liver-kidney microsomal antibody (anti-LKM1), the marker of autoimmune hepatitis type 2.43 had chronic hepatitis (with histological confirmation in 34) and 3 were seropositive for anti-LKM1 without clinical or biochemical evidence of liver damage. The overall prevalence of anti-HCV was 78·2%, or 86·1% in patients with chronic hepatitis—a similar prevalence to that reported in patients with chronic non A, non B post-transfusion hepatitis. HCV infection may lead to altered expression of the hepatocellular LKM1 target antigen, with loss of tolerance and appearance of anti-LKM1 in serum.

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