Z Gastroenterol 2010; 48 - P4_11
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1246505

Autoantibodies to asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) measured by a novel ELISA–revival of a disease-activity marker in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)

K Conrad 1, D Roggenbuck 2, E Feist 3, G Hausdorf 3, T Buettner 2, CP Berg 4, R Klein 5
  • 1Institute of Immunology, Dresden
  • 2GA Generic Assays GmbH, Dahlewitz / Berlin
  • 3Universitätsmedizin Charité Berlin, Berlin
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine I, Tübingen
  • 5Department of Internal Medicine II, Tübingen

Aims: Aim of the study was to develop a novel solid-phase immunoassay for the detection of anti-ASGPR IgG demonstrated to correlate with disease activity in AIH. However, due to the fragility of this liver-specific autoantigen, no standardised immunoassay has been available until now.

Methods: ASGPR was purified by affinity chromatography on galactose-Sepharose from rabbit liver and used for standardised detection by a novel ELISA. Anti-ASGPR IgG was measured in sera from 45 patients with AIH (untreated n=30, treated n=15), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) (n=43), alcoholic liver disease (ALD) (n=13), hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n=35), hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (n=53), and 118 blood donors (BD). Anti-ASGPR was correlated with biochemical parameters of disease activity in 22 AIH patients with more than 4 consecutive samples over a treatment period of 5 years.

Results: Twenty-one of 30 untreated (70%) and five of 15 treated AIH patients (30%) showed elevated anti-ASGPR at first presentation. Only one BD demonstrated anti-ASGPR. ALD and PBC patients were all negative. ROC curve analysis of AIH and disease-control patients revealed a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 99.4%. Three (8.6%) of 35 HBV patients and 7 (13.2%) of 53 HCV patients demonstrated elevated anti-ASGPR. Within the 45 AIH patients, anti-ASPGR antibody reactivity correlated with liver transaminase levels. In 22 follow-up patients elevation of anti-ASPGR preceded increase of liver transaminases.

Conclusions: The novel anti-ASGPR ELISA is a robust and highly specific diagnostic tool for the detection of autoantibodies against ASGPR. Quantification of anti-ASGPR is helpful in monitoring disease activity.

Literatur: Hausdorf G, Roggenbuck D, Feist E, Büttner T, Jungblut PR, Conrad K, Berg C, Klein R. Autoantibodies to asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) measured by a novel ELISA-revival of a disease-activity marker in autoimmune hepatitis. Clin Chim Acta. 2009;408:19-24. Epub 2009 Jul 2.

antibody - asgpr - autoimmune hepatitis - diagnostics