A re-examination of patients with previously detected autoantibodies to smooth muscle.

A group of patients which previously had been found to possess smooth muscle antibody (SMA) activity was re-examined for persistence of the autoantibody. The mean observation time was four years (range 0.5-9 years). Thirty out of 140 patients, who initially had SMA associated with rheumatic or other symptoms, had autoantibody activity at re-examination. Most were low in titer, and none of the 30 had developed chronic liver disease. Twenty-four patients with SMA at the first testing were analyzed because of liver pathology. Five had CAH at that time. SMA in low titer associated with liver pathology was a transient phenomenon. SMA in high titer combined with liver pathology seems to be a persistent condition with respect to both parameters, although no additional patients developed CAH between the first testing and re-examination.