BACKGROUND

Concurrent autoimmune disorders (CAIDs) have been shown to occur in 22% to 34% of the patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Their presence has been linked to female gender, older age, and to certain HLA antigens, namely HLA-A11, DRB104, and DRB401.

AIMS

To assess the frequency and nature of CAID in Brazilian patients with AIH types 1 (AIH-1) and 2 (AIH-2) and to investigate the influence of age, gender, and genetic background in their occurrence.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The presence and nature of CAID was studied in 143 patients [117 females, median age 11 (1.3 to 69)] with AIH-1 (n=125) and AIH-2 (n=28). HLA typing and tumor necrosis factor alpha gene promoter and exon 1 cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) gene polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based techniques.

RESULTS

The frequency of CAID was similar in patients with AIH-1 (14%) and AIH-2 (18%), but their nature was shown to vary. Arthritis was seen in half of the patients (n=8) with CAID and AIH-1 and in none of those with AIH-2. Subjects with AIH-1 and CAID were shown to be older [24 (1.3 to 61) vs. 11 (1.3 to 69) y, P=0.02] and to have more often circulating antinuclear antibody (76% vs. 40%, P=0.008) and less frequently antiactin antibodies (33% vs. 75%, P=0.008) when compared with their counterparts without CAID. No particular HLA-DR and DQ alleles, as well as tumor necrosis factor alpha and CTLA-4 genotypes, were associated with CAID.

CONCLUSIONS

The nature, but not the frequency, of CAID was shown to vary in AIH-1 and AIH-2. In subjects with AIH-1, CAID was linked to older subjects and to the presence of antinuclear antibody. No predisposition to CAID was associated to HLA-DRB104 or DDB401 alleles. The observed lower frequency of CAID could be attributed to the lower age of disease onset in Brazilians and to differences in HLA-encoded susceptibility to AIH-1 observed in South America.