Significance of anticentromere antibody in primary biliary cirrhosis / 中华风湿病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the significance of anticentromere antibody(ACA)in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC).Method ACA was detected using indirect immunofluorescence(IIF)in 99 patients with PBC,and the difference was compared between patients with and without ACA.Results Fifty-three patients(53.5%)had ACA in serum.The average age of onset was elder in patients with ACA than in patients without ACA[(52.6?1.5)vs(46.2?2.0),P=0.012].There was no significant difference in sex ratio between the two groups.Incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding was higher in patients with than without ACA (13.2% vs 0,P=0.014).Difference was not significant in symptoms such as fatigue,pruritus,icterus,etc. Though it didn't reach statistically significant,the incidence of esophageal varices was higher in patients with ACA than without ACA(45.8% vs 10.0% respectively,P=0.061).There was no significant difference in diam- eter of portal vein,splenomegaly,ascites.Biochemically only serum total protein reached statistical significance between the two groups[(73.3+1.1)g/L vs(78.1+l.7)g/L respectively,P=0.017].Patients with ACA had low- er serum IgG than ACA negative patients[(15.1?0.6)g/L vs(18.4?1.0)g/L respectively,P=0.006].Nuclear envelope pattern(NE),one of the patterns of ANA,was rare in ACA positive group than ACA negative group (16.7% vs 50.0% respectively,P=0.002).Conclusion The prevalence of ACA is high in patients with PBC. Patients with ACA have high risk of oesophageal varices and gastrointestinal bleeding.Nuclear envelope pat- tern of ANA is rare in patients with ACA.