Autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes in sera from patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease.

Sera from 56 patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease (CLD) and 30 normal individuals as controls were examined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the presence of autoantibodies directed against actin, tubulin, myosin, double-stranded (ds) DNA, polymerized human albumin, thyroglobulin, and trinitrophenyl coupled to bovine serum albumin (TNP-BSA). Patients with CLD had consistently elevated levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies directed against all the panel antigens. The percentage of patients with autoantibodies of the IgA class was particularly high: respectively, 88 and 78% of the patients had strikingly high levels of anti-actin and anti-TNP-BSA IgA autoantibodies. High amounts of IgA and IgG antibodies to polymerized albumin as well as IgG to thyroglobulin were also detected. Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were isolated from patients' sera and their autoantibody activities were tested on the same antigen panel. The autoantibodies thus detected were of the same class and possessed the same activities, although at higher values than those present in the homologous sera. These results indicate that, regardless of their origin, autoantibodies are present in high amounts in the sera of these patients. Moreover, autoantibodies participating in the formation of CIC might play a pathological role.