Anti-liver membrane protein antibodies in dogs with chronic hepatitis.

Serum from 21 dogs with chronic hepatitis was evaluated for anti-liver membrane protein (anti-LMP) antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Ten of the 21 dogs had anti-LMP antibody concentrations greater than 2 SD above the mean value for the 10 healthy control dogs; titers ranged from 1:40 to greater than 1:1,600. Anti-LMP-positive dogs were not restricted by breed, had higher alanine amino transferase activity and total bilirubin concentration, and more severe liver lesions when compared with anti-LMP-negative dogs. This study provided evidence of humoral autoantibodies in dogs with chronic hepatitis, but it did not determine if the autoantibodies were primary or secondary.