RESUMO
Level of autoantibodies to interferon-alpha and characteristics of interferon status were studied in 118 patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases (CDLD). During formation of liver cirrhosis in patients with CDLD level of natural autoantibodies to endogenous interferon-alpha increased. During progression of CDLD, decrease of interferon-alpha level and its functional activity were observed as well as change in the ratio between active fraction of interferon-alpha and its inactivated forms towards increase of the latter. One cause of observed decrease in biological functional activity of interferon-alpha in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis was increased titer of interferon-alpha neutralizing autoantibodies in blood. Level of natural autoantibodies to interferon-alpha, its antiviral activity and concentration during chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis can be used as markers of disease severity and predictors of its outcome.
