RESUMEN
The aims of this study were to evaluate the association between DR antigens and chronic active hepatitis patients [CAH] and to seek correlations between these antigens and chronicity, disease severity and auto- antibodies in this condition. The frequency of different HLA-DRB I alleles was studied in 30 patient with chronic active hepatitis C [CAH] and 15 cross-matched control group. Both groups were subjected to HLA-DRBI typing using reversed hybridization technique, detection of Sjogren Syndrome Antibody RNA-A [SSA] and Sjogren syndrome antibody RNA-B [SSB] antibodies and detection of ANA, ASMA and AMA antibodies by immunofluorescent technique. Results showed that chronic hepatitis C may be genetically determined as DR3 is significantly higher in patients as compared to controls and DR5, DR2 and DR52 may be protective genes being more frequent in controls. The presence of auto-antibodies with HCV infection may also be genetically determined as it is associated with certain DR alleles. Certain auto-antibodies SSA and ANA are associated with disease severity being more common in patients with chronic active hepatitis C associated with cirrhotic changes