DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES TO 65 KD HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN AND TO HUMAN SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE IN AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS-MOLECULAR MIMICRY BETWEEN 65 KD HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN AND SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE

The antibody to 65 KD mycobacterial heat shock protein (HSP65) and ant ibody to human superoxide dismutase (H-SOD) were measured by ELISA in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and results were compared wi th those of patients with chronic active hepatitis C (CAH-C) or system ic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and normal subjects (NS). Patients with A IH had significantly higher OD values of anti-HSP65 antibody and anti- H-SOD antibody compared with those of patients with CAH-C or SLE and N S. OD values of anti-HSP65 antibody were correlated with those of anti -SOD antibody. Affinity-purified anti-SOD antibody reacted with HSP65. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of human SOD showed that 7 segmen ts, corresponding to r to 25 amino acid residues, exhibited 50 to 71% homology with that of mycobacterial HSP65.