Detection of autoantibodies in the serum of primary hepatocarcinoma patients.

Objective: To study the significance of detecting autoantibodies in primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) patients.

Methods: Autoantibodies were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Antigens and antibodies of HBV were determined by enzyme immune assay. Antibody to HCV IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay.

Results: The positive rate of autoantibody was 27.3% (38/139) in 139 PHC patients. The main type of autoantibodies in PHC was anti-nuclear antibody (36/38, 94.7%), others included anti-smooth muscle antibody(2/38, 5.3%), anti-mitochondria antibody (1/38, 2.6%), anti-midbody antibody (1/38, 2.6%, and anti-liver cell membrane antibody (2/38, 5.3%).

Conclusions: Detecting autoantibodies in PHC patients is of significance in studying the mechanism of autoimmune reaction and etiology in PHC. The diversity of autoantibodies might result from a wide variety of etiological factors involved in PHC development, and from a wide variety of overexpressed or mutated proteins involved in repeated cycles of necrosis and regeneration in hepatocarcinoma development.