Anti asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels as marker for inflammation in autoimmune hepatitis.

Circulating anti asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies (anti-ASCPR) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels (sIL-2R) were blindly determined in sera of 23 patients with autoimmune hepatitis and compared to 18 healthy individuals. All patients underwent liver biopsy which was blindly staged and graded. 14 of 23 (61%) patients but none of normal controls showed anti-ASCPR positivity. Eleven of twelve (92%) patients with biopsy-proven grade 3 hepatitis were high-titered anti-ASCPR positive compared to three of eleven patients with grade I hepatitis. Mean levels of sIL-2R +/- standard deviation were 1.175 +/- 663 units/ml in the total number of patients with auto-immune hepatitis comparing to 372 +/- 69 units/ml in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Eleven of twelve patients with grade 3 hepatitis had significant higher sIL-2R levels (1,669 +/- 559) than patients with mild disease (635 +/- 113). Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between positive anti-ASCPR titer and elevated sIL-2R values. A follow-up analysis of six patients showed a significant decrease of both anti-ASCPR titer and sIL-2R levels after three to nine months of immunosuppressive therapy. These findings suggest that elevated sIL-2R levels and anti-ASCPR titer are associated in patients with autoimmune hepatitis and- as a function of either T or B cell activation, respectively- could serve as reliable humoral marker for disease-specific activity.