Clinical pathology of autoimmune cholangitis / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate clinical and pathological features of autoimmune cholangitis (AIC) in antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) positive and negative patients.Method According to AMA presence or absence,37 primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients were assigned to AMA positive group and AIC group.Clinical and pathological differences between two groups were compared.Results No differences were found in the level of liver function,liver cirrhosis,frequency of cholestasis and bile duct lesions between two groups.However,lower serum level of alkaline phosphatase,severer hepatocellular damage in pathology and higher AIH score were found in AIC group.Therefore the frequency accompanied by Sjgren′s syndrome (SS) in AIC group was significant higher.Conclusion AIC group is companied by slighter cholestasis and severer damage of hepatocytes indicating more autoimmune findings of AIC patients.AIC may have some correlation with SS in etiology and pathogenesis.