Serological markers of autoimmunity in patients infected with hepatitis C virus: impact of HIV co‐infection

Abstract

Objectives:We sought to evaluate the prevalence, predictors and significance of autoantibody expression in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with or without HIV co-infection. Methods:Retrospective review of laboratory and histologic data for all patients with CHC who had a liver biopsy available. HIV status was documented in all patients. Results analyzed in SPSS10, Chicago, IL, a p value o0.05 was considered significant. Results: 170 patients with hepatitis C viremia, including 107 (63%) HIV co-infection, who had testing for anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) or antismooth muscle antibody (ASMA) and anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) were included in the study. Overall, 63% (74/117) of patients were ASMA seropositive and 6% (9/153) were positive for ANA. All 117 patients tested for AMA were negative. HIV co-infected patients were significantly more likely to be ASMA positive 71% (53/75) compared to those with hepatitis C alone (50%) [P 5 0.026]. There were no significant differences in age, gender, race, risk group, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels or grade of inflammation on histology between autoantibody positive and negative patients. ASMA positive patients had significantly higher globulin levels (P 5 0.036) and a trend towards more bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis. Patients with autoantibody expression rarely had histologic features of AIH. Conclusion:We found a high rate of ASMA seropositivity in our cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C, and HIV co-infection was associated with significantly higher rates of ASMA expression. Autoantibody expression was not associated with demographic or clinical characteristics and does not necessarily preclude antiviral therapy.

Autoantibodies in chronic hepatitis C virus infection: impact on clinical outcomes and extrahepatic manifestations

“… 8 20 One of these included HIV coinfected individuals in their analysis. 20 Our data provide a more complete analysis of the prevalence of auto-abs in CHC for US patients.…”

“… 8 10 11 13 14 18 19 23–25 28 Furthermore, the majority of studies have come from Asia, Europe, Africa and South America. Only two published studies were from the USA, one of which focused on HCV/HIV coinfection and the relationship with auto-ab prevalence, 20 and the other focused on the relationship between the prevalence of auto-abs and virological response to interferon (IFN). 8 To the best of our knowledge, no studies have analysed the impact of the presence or absence of auto-abs and the subsequent development of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or mortality in a longitudinal fashion.…”