The Role of Liver Membrane Antigens as Targets in Autoimmune Type Liver Disease

Autoimmune type chronic active hepatitis is clinically characterized by the presence of non-organ-specific autoantibodies, high gammaglobulin levels, circulating liver membrane autoantibodies, and the absence of hepatitis B virus markers. Host immune reactions against liver membrane antigens are regarded to be of significant importance for hepatic injury. Organ-specific determinants are of special interest whereas non-organ-specific determinants are believed to account for extrahepatic symptoms in chronic inflammatory liver diseases. In the present paper a review is given of the published data concerning the identification of liver membrane antigens. Furthermore the present knowledge of immune reactions against these target antigens will be reported and their clinical significance will be discussed.