AUTOANTIBODIES TO HEPATIC-MICROSOMAL CARBOXYLESTERASE IN HALOTHANE HEPATITIS

Halothane hepatitis can be life-threatening, and this severe adverse r eaction may arise via an immune process. We have detected autoantibodi es to purified human liver microsomal carboxylesterase in sera of 17 o ut of 20 patients with halothane hepatitis (85%) but not in 9 halothan e-exposed controls and in only 2 (at low levels) of 33 patients with l iver disease due to other causes. Immunohistochemical studies localise d the carboxylesterase predominantly to the centrilobular region of li ver sections, which is consistent with the area affected by halothane hepatitis. Human hepatic microsomal carboxylesterase is a target antig en in halothane hepatitis, and an immune response to this protein may be involved in the liver damage observed.