Serum autoantibodies in hepatitis associated antigen (HAA) positive patients. A possible index of cell-mediated immunity to the associated-infective agent

Abstract

Sera from 134 HAA positive patients have been studied for the presence of a variety of autoantibodies. The patients were divided into groups dependent on the clinicopathological severity of the associated liver disease. Both smooth muscle antibody and rheumatoid factor were found in all groups of patients. However, their incidence and titre was higher in the groups of patients who had clinical and pathological evidence of the more active liver cell damage. As autoantibodies in viral infections may be an index of the presence of cell mediated immunity to the causative infective agent these results could support the hypothesis that cell mediated immunity is important in the pathogenesis of liver cell damage in HAA positive patients.