Antibodies against human liver-specific protein (LSP) in acute and chronic viral hepatitis types A, B and non-A, non-B.

Sera from 42 patients with acute viral hepatitis (AVH), 97 patients with chronic active liver disease (CALD) and 89 controls were tested by radioimmunoprecipitation for the presence of antibodies against human liver-specific protein (LSP). Anti-LSP were found in all but one patient with AVH type A (93%) and in a smaller percentage of AVH type B (55%). In non-A, non-B cases, anti-LSP were found in low percentages: 27% in acute cases, 10% in chronic cases. Furthermore, in CALD, a significant difference was found between HBsAg-positive CAH and 'autoimmune' CAH, a significant difference was found between HBsAg-positive CAH and 'autoimmune' CAH, both in anti-LSP prevalence (21%, 67%; P less than 0.005) and in anti-LSP titre (1:154 +/- 170, 1:316 +/- 186; P less than 0.005). In HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive CAH, three of 15 patients were anti-LSP positive. Anti-LSP were found only in three of 57 patients with various non-hepatic diseases with autoimmune features. None of the 12 healthy HBsAg carriers was positive. Hence there is evidence for a considerable heterogeneity in anti-LSP response in acute and in chronic inflammatory HBsAg-negative liver diseases. These data suggest that anti-LSP antibodies do not play a prominent role in the process of transition to chronicity of acute viral hepatitis particularly in non-A, non-B cases, whereas these antibodies may be important in the mechanism of ongoing liver cell injury in patients with 'autoimmune' CAH, and can represent a useful diagnostic marker of this type of hepatitis.