Immunoglobulin deposition in liver of patients with active chronic hepatitis and antibody against smooth muscle.

Liver biopsies from 33 patients with miscellaneous liver diseases were studied by direct immunofluorescence. Three patients with active chronic hepatitis possessed a distinctive pattern of staining with anti-IgG conjugate. They were relatively young women and all three possessed the anti-smooth-muscle antibody. In addition, all three were untreated at the time of study. It is suggested that direct immunofluorescence on liver biopsies may help in the investigation of liver disease and that humoral immunity may participate in the pathogenesis of active chronic hepatitis.