Guest guest Posted January 1, 2001 Report Share Posted January 1, 2001 <A HREF= " http://pbcers.org/HTML/pbclabs.htm " >Click here: Blood Labs of Interest to PBCers</A> Mitochondrial Abs are positive, usually in high titers in > 95% of patients with PBC. These heterogeneous Abs are also present in 30% of patients with " autoimmune " chronic active hepatitis (HBsAg negative) and in some cases of connective tissue disease. They are absent in mechanical obstruction of the biliary system and primary sclerosing cholangitis; hence they have important diagnostic value, particularly when liver histopathology is equivocal. Other Abs occur in autoimmune chronic active hepatitis: Smooth muscle Ab (SMAb) particularly directed against actin is found in 70% and double-stranded antinuclear Abs (ANAbs) are positive in high titers. Some patients exhibit another auto-Ab, antiliver-kidney -microsome Ab (LKM-1 Ab), which appears to define a subgroup of patients with chronic active hepatitis. None is diagnostic, and none reveals the pathogenesis of the disease process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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