Escherichia coli antibodies in patients with chronic liver diseases

ABSTRACT

49 subjects clinically diagnosed as chronic liver disease patients were subjected to histopathological examination. 48 of them were divided according to the results of tie histopathological examination into 5 groups Group I-13 patients with bilharziasis; group II-9 patients with bilharziasis plus chronic persistent hepatitis; group III -6 patients with bilharziasis plus chronic active hepatitis; group IV -7 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis ;group V -13 patients with chronic active hepatitis. Using the microtitre haemagglutination technique the serum E. coli O antibodies were significantly high in patients with bilharziasis plus chronic active hepatitis [mean value +/- standard deviation 219+156]. A statistically significant difference was found when antibody titre +/- standard deviation in group III was compared to that of patients in group I [t =1.6615, P /= 0.05; t = 0.2239, P >/= 0.05] respectively. There was one patient clinically diagnosed as chronic liver disease but whose liver histhpathology proved normal; this patients serum did not demonstrate E. coli O antibodies like the .21 normal controls