Clinical Significance of the Detection of Antinuclear Antibodies in Patients with Acute Hepatitis A
Gut and Liver
;
: 340-347, 2011.
Article
in English
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-205661
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS:
The findings of several recent studies suggest that antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are frequently detected in patients with acute hepatitis A (AHA). However, the clinical significance of a positive ANA test remains uncertain. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical significance of ANAs in AHA patients.METHODS:
All patients admitted with AHA were consecutively enrolled in this study. An ANA assay was performed by indirect immunofluorescence during hospitalization. ANA positivity was defined as an ANA titer > or =180. The peak international normalized ratio (INR), peak alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and peak bilirubin levels were assessed over the duration of the hospitalization, and the incidence of AHA complications was evaluated.RESULTS:
A total of 422 patients were enrolled in this study (age, 31+/-7 years), of which 260 (61.6%) were men. ANAs were detected in 179 AHA patients (42.4%). The proportion of ANA-positive patients varied significantly with AHA status on the day of the ANA assay (4.7% during the prodromal period vs 52.1% during the icteric or recovery period, p<0.001) and sex (56.2% in women vs 33.8% in men, p<0.001). The ANAs became undetectable in all ANA-positive patients within 3 months. The incidence of complications, including mortality, fulminant hepatic failure, renal dysfunction, relapse, and cholestatic hepatitis, did not differ significantly between ANA-positive and ANA-negative patients.CONCLUSIONS:
ANAs were detected frequently and transiently in patients with AHA, especially after their peak-ALT day. The presence of ANAs may not be associated with the clinical outcome of AHA, but simply with AHA status on the ANA assay day.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Recurrence
/
Bilirubin
/
Antibodies, Antinuclear
/
Incidence
/
Liver Failure, Acute
/
Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect
/
International Normalized Ratio
/
Alanine Transaminase
/
Prodromal Symptoms
/
Hepatitis
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Incidence study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Gut and Liver
Year:
2011
Type:
Article
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