Autoantibodies to asialoglycoprotein receptor in chronic hepatitis C patients

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of autoantibodies to a sialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR, anti-ASGPR) in chronic hepatitis C patie nts and to characterize the anti-ASGPR-positive and anti-ASGPR-negative pat ients in more detail. A total of 79 chronic hepatitis C patients were scree ned for the presence anti-ASGPR by ELISA. Anti-ASGPR were detected in 11 (1 3.9%) patients. No significant differences were found between the anti-ASGP R-positive and anti-ASGPR-negative patients in age, alanine transaminase (A LT) activity, histological findings and response and tolerance to alpha-int erferon (alpha-IFN) therapy. The male predominance in the anti-ASGPR positi ve group was statistically significant. It was surprising that other tested autoantibodies (antinuclear autoantibodies [ANA], smooth muscle autoantibo dies [SMA], type I liver-kidney microsome autoantibodies [LKM-1], anti-thyr oglobulin and thyroid microsome autoantibodies) and increased levels of imm unoglobulins A, G and/or M were observed significantly more frequently in t he anti-ASGPR-negative group.