Autoimmunity in chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis delta virus.

Recent evidence shows that chronic liver disease induced by hepatitis delta virus is closely associated with production of autoantibodies. To verify this sera from patients with hepatitis delta virus and from those with hepatitis B virus mediated chronic liver disease were tested for a panel of autoantibodies. Although the traditional non-organ specific autoantibodies were similarly distributed in the two groups, a considerably higher prevalence of IgG basal cell layer antibodies, IgM anti-intermediate filaments, and IgG antimicrotubule antibodies was found. Although these phenomena might be secondary to hepatitis delta virus infection, they might be the serological markers of underlying immune events.