الفهرس 
HCV: MorphologyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AI-CAH) was
originally described as affecting young individuals, mainly,
females and there considerable evidence that the
condition is related to aberrant autoreactivity to hepatocellular
antigens (Mc~arlance and Eddlestone, 1989).
However, it is now known that the disease is biphasic with
respect to age of onset with many cases presenting later in
life (above 40 years). This raises the question of whether
some factors, possibly environmental, is required to trigger
the disorder is susceptible subjects, the measles virus may
be such a trigger (Roberston et al., 1987).
The question of whether HCV has a role in the pathogenesis
of A!-CAH was first raised when anti-HCV was identified in
the sera of some spanish patients with AI-CAH (Esteban et
al., 1989).
Antibodies to HCV are present in high proportion of AI-CAH
(44%) cases in Spain, and in 86% of patients in Italy with
anti-LKMl sera {Lenzi et al., 1990).
Previous studies have described a high frequency of
antibodies to hepatitis C virus in patients with type 2 autoimmune hepatitis expressing anti-LKMl in their sera.
Resolution of this question has major implications for
therapy, because corticosteroids are of proven benefit in
AI-CAH, whereas interferon can have adverse effect in
patients with underlying autoimmune liver disease (Burman et
al., 1986).
Thus, it was appealing to study the pattern of autoantibody
prevalence among HCV-CLD Egyptian patients and therefore
possible to evaluate its therapeutic and diagnostic
implications.
To fulfil the aim of this study, 200 HCV-positive-CLD cases
(group A) [112 males and 88 females with a mean age of 38
years) \Vlli J,.e.matched to 35 HCV-negative-CLD patients as a
control group (group B) [22 males and 13 females with a mean
age of 41 years].Both groups wUfh(evaluated clinically, biochemically,
pathologically,radiologicallyandserologically.
HCV-antibody was screened by second generation ELISA, ortho
and antibodies (SMA, ANA, AMA, LKM1 and SMA-anti-actin] were
screened by immuno-fluorescence on cryostat murine section
using 1:40 serum dilution.