[IgA changes in chronic alcoholic hepatopathy].

Chronic alcoholic hepatitis (CAH) has been included, in the last 10 years, among the disease accompanied by particular changes of IgA (primary glomerulonephritis with mesangial deposits of IgA, Berger; Henoch-Schonlein's purpura with IgA deposits in dermatic capillaries and herpetiform dermatitis, with deposits of IgA in dermatic papillae). The characteristics of IgA involvement in CAH are: The whole IgA system is changed, at its 3 levels: circulatory, tissular, formative. at the circulatory level, the IgA2 monomeric fraction increases characteristically; in hepatic parenchyma, perisinusoidal linear deposits of IgA are formed; they have a great significance for the alcoholic etiology, the length of time and seriousness of alcoholism.