The Presence of Non-organ-specific Autoantibodies in Chronic Hepatitis C Treatment-naive Patients

BackgroundIn the patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) various immune-mediated phenomena are described, and non-organ-specific autoantibodies (NOSAs) in particular are common. The aim of the present study was to investigate the NOSAs prevalence in chronic hepatitis c treatment-naive patients. Patients and MethodsSera of 76 consecutive HCV treatment-naive patients were considered to be eligible for this study for evaluation of Anti-nuclear, anti-smooth muscle, anti-mitochondrial, anti-neutrophil-cytoplasmatic and anti-liver/kidney microsomal antibodies. Criteria of eligibility were serum anti-HCV antibody and HCV RNA positivity, chronic inflammation revealed by histological analysis of the liver, genotyping, treatment-naive patients, and no have the diagnosis of probable or definite autoimmune hepatitis. ResultsMean chronological age for the 76 patients (44 females and 32 males) was 51.3 {+/-} 13,9 years (range: 20-67 years). Nineteen patients (25.0%) infected with HCV had detectable levels of NOSAs at before combined antiviral treatment. SMA was present in 16 (21.0%) of 76 patients, ANA in 2 patients (2.6%), and pANCA (perinuclear ANCA) in 1 patients (1.3%). No patient had specimens reactive to AMA, LMK, or cANCA (cytoplasmic ANCA). ConclusionsIn this study, we show the NOSAs positivity in chronic hepatitis c treatment-naive patients. Assigned to high prevalence of SMA positivity is associated with high METAVIR score, and HCV-genotype 1 and 1b, may reflect a release of intracellular antigens at the time of hepatocellular injury triggering immune responses in the form of autoantibody production or a direct infection of immunocytes by the HCV.