CELLULAR AND HUMORAL IMMUNE-REACTIONS AGAINST AUTOANTIGENS AND HEPATITIS-C VIRAL-ANTIGENS IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-C

Background/Aims: Previous reports have suggested that the hepatitis C virus (HCV) may induce autoimmune hepatitis. The aim of this study was to examine this hypothesis by investigating humoral and cellular immu ne responses to HCV-related antigens and various autoantigens in patie nts with chronic HCV infections. Methods: Lymphoproliferative response s in vitro and/ or circulating antibodies to an HCV core peptide, the putative autoantigen GOR, the liver-specific hepatic asialoglycoprotei n receptor (ASGP-R), and other autoantigens were investigated in 27 ad ults with chronic hepatitis C. Results: Five patients with HCV (18.5%) showed cellular immune responses to ASGP-R and two others had antibod ies to ASGP-R, whereas 6 of 14 patients (42.8%) showed cellular respon ses to GOR and 7 of 14 patients (50%) showed responses to HCV core. Ot her autoantibodies were detected in three patients (11%). Nine patient s with autoimmune hepatitis studied concurrently for comparison showed cellular and/or humoral responses to ASGP-R but not to GOR. Only 2 of 11 patients with other chronic liver disorders showed immune response s to any antigen tested. Conclusions: Specific immunocompetence agains t HCV-related antigens can often be shown in patients with chronic hep atitis C but is infrequently accompanied by autoreactions against live r-specific or nonspecific antigens. A reported association between T-c ell responses to HCV core and lack of liver damage could not be confir med.