Impact of International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group Scoring System in definition of autoimmune hepatitis : an Italian experience

We have reclassified 110 patients with autoantibody-positive cryptogenic chronic hepatitis according tot he aggregate scoring system proposed by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group for signs of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the newly proposed terminology of "unclassified"...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Digestive diseases and sciences 1996, Vol.41 (1), p.166-171
Main Authors: BIANCHI, F. B, CASSANI, F, LENZI, M, BALLARDINI, G, MURATORI, L, GIOSTRA, F, ZAULI, D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antibodies, Antinuclear - analysis
Autoantibodies - analysis
Autoimmune Diseases - complications
Autoimmune Diseases - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Chronic Disease
Female
Hepatitis - complications
Hepatitis - immunology
Hepatitis C - complications
Hepatitis C - immunology
Hepatitis C Antibodies - analysis
Human viral diseases
Humans
Infectious diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Muscle, Smooth - immunology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Retrospective Studies
Viral diseases
Viral hepatitis
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Summary:We have reclassified 110 patients with autoantibody-positive cryptogenic chronic hepatitis according tot he aggregate scoring system proposed by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group for signs of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the newly proposed terminology of "unclassified" chronic hepatitis. Anti-HCV and HCV viremia were assessed by second-generation assays and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Immunomorphological and immunochemical characterizations of antinuclear, smooth, muscle, liver-kidney microsomal type 1, and liver cytosol type 1 autoantibodies were also performed. All 45 anti-HCV negative patients fulfilled the score criteria for the diagnosis of "definite" or "probable" autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Eight anti-HCV-positive cases reached the score of "probable" AIH, whereas the remaining 57 cases were diagnosed as unclassified chronic hepatitis. The scoring system allows the correct identification of all autoimmune cases without HCV infection. Autoimmune hepatitis runs a more severe disease course than unclassified chronic hepatitis, whose clinical and histological features are similar to those of autoantibody-negative chronic hepatitis C.
ISSN:0163-2116
1573-2568
DOI:10.1007/BF02208600