Background & Aims: Antibodies (Abs) to soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas (anti-SLA/LP) are considered markers of worse prognosis and outcome in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) although this assumption has recently been attributed to their frequent co-expression with Abs against Ro52 (anti-Ro52). To assess the clinical significance of anti-SLA/LP Abs alone or in combination with anti-Ro52 in AIH patients and determine the immunodominant Ro52 epitopes according to the anti-SLA/LP status.
Methods: Twenty-three anti-SLA/LP-positive and 106 anti-SLA/LP-negative AIH patients were included. Anti-SLA/LP were determined by ELISA using recombinant antigen, and confirmed by immunoblot using cytosolic rat liver fraction or HuH-7 extract. Anti-Ro52 Abs were determined by ELISA using recombinant antigen. Epitope mapping was assessed by ELISA using overlapping peptides covering the whole Ro52 protein in 26 AIH patients and 12 patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
Results: Anti-SLA/LP positivity was not associated with the clinical, laboratory or histological characteristics of AIH patients. Treatment response, corticosteroid withdrawal, relapse after stopping treatment and outcome, were not associated with the presence of anti-SLA/LP, anti-Ro52 or double reactivity. Moreover, Ro52 epitope mapping revealed new epitopes unique for AIH and independent from anti-SLA/LP positivity.
Conclusions: Neither anti-SLA/LP nor anti-Ro52 Abs or their combination could specify a distinct group of AIH patients in terms of clinical characteristics, treatment response and outcome. Further studies are needed to clarify whether the newly discovered immunodominant epitopes of Ro52 antigen which were associated specifically with AIH have any clinical or pathogenetic significance in AIH.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/liv.12658 | DOI Listing |
J Hepatol
January 2025
I. Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER). Electronic address:
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an enigmatic, relatively rare disease with a variable spectrum of presentation whose pathogenesis, diagnosis and management remain a major challenge. Methods. We have performed a review incorporating recent developments in basic science, epidemiology, clinical science, therapeutics, regulatory science and evaluated the challenges associated with the application of translational research and clinical trial design to a condition that is a chameleon in nature, where outcomes range from relatively benign disease through cirrhosis and acute liver failure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDig Liver Dis
January 2025
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden. Electronic address:
Background: Azathioprine (AZA) is part of the standard treatment for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The first step in the complex bioconversion of AZA to active metabolites is mediated by glutathione transferases (GSTs).
Aims: Elucidate the association between GSTM1 and GSTT1 copy number variation (CNV), genetic variation in GSTA2, GSTP1, and inosine-triphosphate-pyrophosphatase, and the response to AZA in AIH.
Clin Exp Hepatol
March 2024
Department of Pediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Nutrition, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia, Egypt.
Aim Of The Study: This study was performed to investigate the hepatic expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients and its relation to the steroid response.
Material And Methods: This study included 100 patients diagnosed with AIH on immunosuppressive therapy with different responses to treatment. The patients were subjected to full history taking and thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound and liver biopsy for histopathological evaluation and assessment of the hepatic expression of GR and 11β-HSD1.
Liver Int
February 2025
Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background/aims: Epidemiological data on mortality in autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) are scarce. We examined all-cause and cancer-related mortality in individuals with AILD from Sweden.
Methods: We identified 9654 individuals with AILD (3342 with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 3751 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and 2561 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)) using national Swedish registries between 2001 and 2020.
Neurol Sci
January 2025
Department of Physiotherapy, Middle East University, Airport Road, Amman, 11831, Jordan.
Background: Gait impairments are one of the popular consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI). Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) is an innovative treatment that has recently been used to enhance motor function in patients with neurological conditions. This review aims to examine the effects of AIH on gait post-SCI, verify who most likely would benefit from the treatment, and recognize the best treatment protocol, if possible.
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