Reply to: “Increase in HDV replication during steroid therapy – potential implications for testing and treatment strategies”

The case reported by Patmore et  al.1 highlights the complexity of managing patients with chronic hepatitis D (CHD), particularly when the coexistence of liver damage co-factors may significantly impact the outcome of liver disease and jeopardize the patient’s treatment. Since 1983, a HDV-specific pattern of autoantibodies agai nst liver-kidney microsomal antigens has been described by indirect immunofluorescence in up to 13% of Italian patients with CHD.2 In the following years it was shown that, in addition to these autoantibodies targeting the uridine 5’-diphosphate-glucoronosyltransferases (UGT-1 family 1), several o ther markers of autoimmunity such as antibodies against basal cell layer, thymic stellate epithelial cell, thymic reticular, peri-thymocytic and antinuclear laminin C may be present in patients with CHD.
Source: Journal of Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research