Brief Article
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World J Hepatol. Oct 27, 2013; 5(10): 568-576
Published online Oct 27, 2013. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v5.i10.568
Presence of disease specific autoantibodies against liver sinusoidal cells in primary biliary cirrhosis
Ourania Sfakianaki, Maria Tzardi, Argyro Voumvouraki, Aikaterini Afgoustaki, Meri Koulentaki, Elias Kouroumalis
Ourania Sfakianaki, Argyro Voumvouraki, Elias Kouroumalis, Liver Research Laboratory, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Voutes, Crete, Greece
Maria Tzardi, Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71100 Voutes, Crete, Greece
Aikaterini Afgoustaki, Meri Koulentaki, Elias Kouroumalis, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71100 Voutes, Crete, Greece
Author contributions: Sfakianaki O and Voumvouraki A performed the research; Koulentaki M collected the data; Tzardi M interpreted the pathological data; Sfakianaki O and Kouroumalis E interpreted the results; Sfakianaki O and Afgoustaki A wrote the manuscript; Sfakianaki O and Kouroumalis E planned and coordinated the study; Tzardi M, Voumvouraki A, Koulentaki M and Kouroumalis E revised the manuscript; all authors read and approved the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Elias Kouroumalis, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Heraklion, P.O.BOX 1352, 71100 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. kouroum@ med.uoc.gr
Telephone: +30-2810-392356 Fax: +30-2810-542085
Received: May 12, 2013
Revised: August 10, 2013
Accepted: September 13, 2013
Published online: October 27, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: In this study, indirect immunofluorescence staining was performed on paraffin-embedded human liver sections of various chronic liver diseases to demonstrate the presence of disease specific autoantibodies targeting sinusoidal cells in patient sera. Liver sections from normal and disease controls were used as the substrate, and sera were the source of primary antibodies. Our findings indicate that disease specific antibodies against liver sinusoidal cells circulate in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Various non disease specific antibodies were also found in PBC and chronic hepatitis B but not in other chronic liver diseases.