Abstract
In 1988, we reported on the presence of anti-Is antibody in sera from patients with either primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) or autoimmune hepatitis. In the present study, we characterize such a patient who has been followed for the past 14 years. Medical examination revealed liver dysfunction at the age of 69. He was sent to the liver outpatient section at hospital B at age 75 because of serum hyperalkaline phosphatase and hyper γ GTP. The result of ERCP showed no evidence of extrahepatic and biliary involvement, and AMA determination was positive, suggesting the presence of PBC. He was hospitalized in order to undergo liver needle biopsy. However the biopsied specimen showed no evidence of PBC, but instead, revealed the presence of chronic persistent hepatitis. Immunopreciptation using 35S methionine labelled HeLa cell extract found the corresponding antigen of anti-Is antibody to be 95 kDa in size and found mainly in the cytosolic fraction. Thus, we have decided to call this antibody the anti-p 95 C antibody. Further immunological examination of this patient showed the presence of anti-centromere antibody and anti-p 95 C antibody instead of AMA positive. Furthermore the patient continued to show obstructive hepatic dysfunction upon blood chemistry examination. However, the patient has denied general malaise, iching, and jaundice, and is thought to be a case with a good prognosis. Finally, we present 15 further cases with anti-p 95 C antibody, and discuss the clinical significance of this antibody.
