Anti‐cardiolipin antibodies in patients with chronic viral hepatitis are independent of beta2‐glycoprotein I cofactor or features of antiphospholipid syndrome

Abstract

A significant proportion of the HCV and HBV patients had detectable IgG anti-CLAbs. However, the anti-CLAbs titres were relatively low, and in most cases seem to be cofactor-independent ('nonpathogenic'). The latter is further supported by the lack of their association with clinical features of APLS. Furthermore, anti-CLAbs appear to be detected irrespective of the demographic, laboratory, clinical and histologic status in both HCV and HBV. However, prospective studies of longer duration may be required in order to address whether anti-CLAbs in patients with chronic viral hepatitis are or are not of clinical importance.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in Brazilian hepatitis C virus carriers

“…However, we did not investigate the fine antigen specificity of the antiphospholipid antibodies produced in these individuals. Confirming previous reports, there was no clinical history of antiphospholipid syndrome in their medical records (12,13), nor did documented atypical or infrequent features of this syndrome exist, such as myocardial infarction or intra-abdominal thrombotic events, which are only found in select and elderly populations of HCV carriers (14).…”

Autoimmune Liver Diseases and Antiphospholipid Antibodies Positivity: a Meta-analysis of Literature Studies

“…The high frequency of aPL in AiLD but also in viral hepatitis [36,37] and other liver diseases [38] raises the possibility of common underlying mechanisms. One attractive hypothesis could be the induction by chronic stimulus of neoantigens derived from disruption of hepatocyte membranes [16].…”

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Autoimmune Disease

“…In this respect, the data of Zachou et al [46] are relevant. Zachou et al searched for the presence of the IgG isotype of anticardiolipins (aCLs) antibodies and antibodies against β2-glycoprotein I (β2-GPI) in 50 patients infected with HBV.…”

“…It is also associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, which are a heterogeneous family of autoantibodies against negatively charged phospholipids thought to play a role in these clinical manifestations. The antiphospholipid antibodies include anticardiolipin (aCL) and lupus anticoagulant (LAC) antibodies [45][46][47][48].…”

“…β 2 GPI-dependent (pathogenic) antibodies seem to correlate with APS manifestations. Moreover, infectioninduced aCL antibodies tend to be transient, of low titer, and more often of the IgM isotype, while autoimmune aCL antibodies often have highly sustained rather than transient titres, and are more often of the IgG isotype [46,49].…”