Similar T-cell oligoclonality in antimitochondrial antibody-positive and -negative primary biliary cirrhosis

Approximately 5% of patients with clinical and histological features sugges tive of primary biliary cirrhosis do not have anti-mitochondrial antibodies that can be detected by current methodologies. Although the role of these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of liver disease is uncertain, T lymphoc ytes within the portal tracts are felt to be important mediators of bile du ct destruction. In order to investigate the hypothesis that a similar T-cel l process may be involved in both antimitochondrial antibody-positive and - negative primary biliary cirrhosis, we characterized the oligoclonally expa nded T cells in both types of patients by analysis of complementarity deter mining region 3 length in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The distribut ion of oligoclonally expanded T cells was similar in both groups. This find ing does not support a distinct T-cell-mediated pathogenesis for anti-mitoc hondrial antibody-positive and -negative primary biliary cirrhosis but rath er suggests that similar processes may be involved in the immunopathogenesi s of both.