Autoimmune hepatitis related autoantibodies in children with type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The frequency of Type 1 diabetes (T1D)-related autoantibodies was determined in children with autoimmune hepatitis. However, the incidence of autoimmune hepatitis related autoantibodies in children with T1D has been poorly investigated. The aim of the present cross sectional prospective study was to determine the occurrence of autoimmune hepatitis-related autoantibodies in children with T1D. METHODS: Children with T1D following in diabetic clinic in our center were screened for existence of liver related autoantibodies from November 2010 to November 2011. The patients’ sera were analyzed for the existence of autoantibodies such as anti-nuclear antibody, anti-smooth muscle antibody, and anti-Liver Kidney microsomal antibody, using enzyme linked immunoassay and indirect immunofluorescence methods. A titer of anti-nuclear antibody ≥1/40 was considered positive and titer of < 1/40 was considered negative. Anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody titer of < 3 U/ml was considered negative, 3 – 5 U/ml borderlines, and > 5 U/ml was considered positive. RESULTS: 106 children with T1D have been examined over a one-year period: age ranges between 8 months to 15.5 years, sixty two patients were females. Autoantibody screen revealed a girl with positive anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody (1%) and 8 children had positive anti-nuclear antibody (7.5%), without clinical, biochemical or radiologic evidence of liver disease. None of the patients had positive smooth muscle antibody. IN CONCLUSION: Anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody is rarely found in sera of children with T1D; the clinical significance of which is unknown.