Ae. Sousa et al., LIVER-CIRRHOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE HEMOLYTIC-ANEMIA INTERSTITIAL LUNG-DISEASE AND AUTOIMMUNE-THYROIDITIS, European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 6(11), 1994, pp. 1067-1069
Objective: To report a case of liver cirrhosis associated with multipl
e autoimmune diseases. Design: Case report and literature review. Pati
ent: A 63-year-old woman with liver cirrhosis, clinical and laboratory
evidence of autoimmunity, antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) by se
cond generation recombinant immunoblot assay and negative plasmatic HC
V-RNA, was found to have three different autoimmune conditions: autoim
mune haemolytic anaemia, interstitial lung disease and antoimmune hypo
thyroidism. Conclusion: Although combinations of one or two of these i
mmunologic conditions have been described in the literature, this type
of multiple association has not been described previously. This case
illustrates the possibility of severe autoimmune conditions developing
in the context of liver cirrhosis of autoimmune aetiology, with conco
mitant anti-HCV antibodies consistent with previous infection or with
cross-reactivity by an epitope of HCV.