Evaluation of autoimmune scoring system in autoantibodies seropostive and seronegative children with autoimmune hepatitis

ABSTRACT

The scoring system of autoimmune hepatitis that was defined by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group [IAHG] in 1999 was applied on thirty seven children with autoimmune hepatitis [AIH] from the attendants of Pediatric Department of National Liver Institute [NLI], Menofiya University. Thirty three cases [89.2%] were seropositive to one or more of conventional autoimmune antibodies of AIH [antinuclear antibodies [ANA], smooth muscle antibodies [SMA], and antibodies to liver / kidney microsome type 1 [anti-LKM-1]] and 4 cases [10.8%] were seronegative. No statistically significant difference were found between the two groups as regards clinical presentations, the results of liver function tests, histopathological findings, hypergammopathy mean of scoring system before and after treatment as well as the mean of scoring system after response and / or relapse after treatment. These results point to the reliability of using the autoimmune scoring system to uncover cases of autoimmune hepatitis in patients seronegative for autoimmune markers in children