MITOCHONDRIAL ANTIBODIES IN PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS

Mitochondrial Antibodies in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

The antigen reacting with complement-fixing antibodies in the sera of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis was localized predominantly in the mitochondrial fraction of tissue homogenates obtained by differential centrifugation. Purified mitochondrial preparations had a high content of the antigen whereas purified lysosomes failed to fix complement with PBC sera. Analysis of a number of fract...

Anti-Mitochondrial Antibodies and Primary Biliary Cirrhosis in TGF- Receptor II Dominant-Negative Mice

Biliary Cirrhosis Components Define Autoepitopes in Primary Monoclonal Antibodies to Mitochondrial E2

Anti-mitochondrial antibodies in patients with Graves' disease may not signify primary biliary cirrhosis.

Two patients with Graves' disease were incidentally found to have anti-mitochondrial antibodies by immunofluorescence in the absence of symptoms, clinical signs or biochemical evidence of liver dysfunction. Anti-mitochondrial antibody titres became undetectable in both patients on follow-up. Screening of the patients' sera by immunoblotting against the purified antigens of the M2 complex was ne...

Anti-mitochondrial antibodies and primary biliary cirrhosis in TGF-beta receptor II dominant-negative mice.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease of the liver, characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates in portal tracts, selective destruction of biliary epithelial cells, and anti-mitochondrial Abs (AMAs). The elucidation of early events in the induction of tissue inflammation and autoimmunity in PBC has been hampered by the cryptic onset of the disease, the practical limitations in a...