ANTIMITOCHONDRIAL ANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH GRAVES-DISEASE MAY NOT SIGNIFY PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS

Two patients with Graves' disease were incidentally found to have anti -mitochondrial antibodies by immunofluorescence in the absence of symp toms, clinical signs or biochemical evidence of liver dysfunction. Ant i-mitochondrial antibody titres became undetectable in both patients o n follow-up. Screening of the patients' sera by immunoblotting against the purified antigens of the M2 complex was negative. We conclude tha t in these cases, anti-mitochondrial antibodies detected by immunofluo rescence mere directed against antigens other than the primary biliary cirrhosis-associated M2 complex and therefore did not signify subclin ical primary biliary cirrhosis.