Diagnostic and therapeutic implications of bile duct injury in autoimmune hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Bile duct injury is not a feature of classical autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), but it has been described in variant forms of the disease. AIMS: Our goals were to assess the similarity of AIH with bile duct injury to classical disease and to evaluate the possibility of concurrent primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). METHODS: Fifteen patients with bile duct injury were compared with 151 patients with classical AIH. Patterns of nuclear immunofluorescence and the frequency and nature of autoantibodies associated with AIH and PBC were determined. RESULTS: Patients with bile duct injury had the same nuclear-staining patterns, frequency and nature of autoantibodies, and genetic risk factors as the comparison group. Features specific for PBC, including the multiple nuclear dot pattern of immunofluorescence and antibodies to the M2 antigens, Sp100 and nuclear pore complex antigen, gp210, did not distinguish them from classical disease. Remission and treatment failure occurred with similar frequencies in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AIH and bile duct injury lack features of PBC, and they respond as well to corticosteroid therapy as patients with classical disease. Background bile duct changes should not alter the diagnosis or treatment of AIH.