AUTOIMMUNE CHRONIC ACTIVE HEPATITIS - CHANGING REACTIVITY FOR ANTIBODIES TO HEPATITIS-C VIRUS AFTER IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE TREATMENT

Thirty-three patients fulfilling stringent criteria for autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (CAH) were tested for antibodies against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) with an enzyme immunoassay. Eleven of the 33 (33% patients were anti-HCV-reactive in a serum drawn before initiation of immunosuppressive therapy. Anti-HCV-reactive patients had significantly higher median s-IgG level (32.3 g/1) than nonreactive patients (23.5 g/1) (p < 0.01). When in remission with normalized s-IgG levels as a result of the immunosuppressive therapy, only 1 of the 11 initially reactive patients was still reactive. Sera from patients with acute autoimmune CAH and high s-IgG levels may be nonspecifically reactive for anti-HCV. © 1990 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.