Immunological parameters, viral antibodies, and biochemical and histological findings in relatives of patients with chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.

The familial occurrence of immunological, virological, biochemical and histopathological abnormalities has been studied in 39 first degree relatives of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and in 58 first degree relatives of patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Tissue antibodies were more frequent in relatives than in age- and sex-matched controls. Abnormal immunoglobulin levels were demonstrated in about half of the relatives. Very high antibody titres to measles and rubella occurred only in the relatives of the patients with CAH. Moreover the raised titres tended to be clustered in a few families in which also the propositi had very high viral antibody titres. Liver biopsy was performed only on the relatives with biochemical abnormalities. Unspecific inflammatory changes were observed in 5 relatives of the patients with CAH and in 4 relatives of the patients with PBC. An active liver disease was detected in two relatives of the PBC-group and in one of the CAH-group. A marked accumulation of various immunological and histopathological abnormalities in four families was observed.