Chronic active hepatitis associated with vitiligo, nail dystrophy, alopecia and a new variant of LKM antibodies

J Hepatol. 1990 May;10(3):364-9. doi: 10.1016/0168-8278(90)90148-k.

Abstract

In this report we describe the case of a 7-year-old boy, suffering from autoimmune-type chronic active hepatitis (AI-CAH) associated with vitiligo, nail dystrophy, alopecia areata and a variant of liver kidney microsomal (LKM) autoantibodies. This patient's antibodies are different from LKM-1 which are directed against cytochrome P450 db1. They react predominantly with perivenous hepatocytes in contrast to LKM-1 antibodies which homogeneously stain the whole liver lobule in immunofluorescence. In Western blot analysis this LKM variant reacts with a liver microsomal protein of approx. 50 kDa, but not with recombinant LKM-1 (cytochrome P450 db1) antigen. Immunosuppressive treatment led to a normalization of liver histology after 1 year and a significant improvement of vitiligo and alopecia areata. In summary, a case of autoimmune-type chronic active hepatitis is presented which is associated with a new variant of LKM antibodies reacting with a 50 kDa microsomal protein different from cytochrome P450 db1. Furthermore, this patient suffers from extrahepatic syndromes (alopecia, nail dystrophy) that have not been described previously in LKM antibody-positive chronic active hepatitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alopecia / complications*
  • Alopecia / pathology
  • Autoantibodies / genetics*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / complications*
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases / pathology
  • Blotting, Western
  • Child
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Genetic Variation
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / complications*
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / immunology
  • Hepatitis, Chronic / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nail Diseases / complications*
  • Nail Diseases / pathology
  • Vitiligo / complications*
  • Vitiligo / pathology

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • anti-liver kidney microsome antibody