RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Presentation of autoantibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases JO Ann Rheum Dis FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism SP 630 OP 634 DO 10.1136/ard.58.10.630 VO 58 IS 10 A1 Tzang, Bor-Show A1 Chen, Tzy-Yen A1 Hsu, Tsai-Ching A1 Liu, Yin-Chang A1 Tsay, Gregory J YR 1999 UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/58/10/630.abstract AB OBJECTIVES To study the association of antibodies to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus infection.METHODS Sera from 243 patients with chronic HBV infection; 379 patients with chronic HCV infection; 80 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); 28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis; 15 patients with Sjogren’s syndrome; eight with polymyositis; eight with primary biliary cirrhosis; and 33 healthy control subjects were tested for the presentation of anti-PCNA antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting using recombinant PCNA as antigen. The distribution of immunoglobulin isotypes of anti-PCNA antibody was measured by ELISA assay.RESULTS By ELISA, anti-PCNA antibodies were detected in 30 (12.3%) patients with chronic HBV infection, 71 (18.7%) patients with chronic HCV infection, and five (6.3%) patients with SLE. The inhibition of binding with these sera by purified PCNA was shown to exceed 71%. By immunoblotting, the frequency of anti-PCNA in patients with chronic HBV and HCV infection was 17 of 243 (7%) and 41 of 379 (11%), respectively. Absorption studies on indirect immunofluorescence showed the typical nuclear speckled staining pattern by anti-PCNA sera was abolished by preincubation of sera with PCNA. Anti-PCNA antibody was not detected in sera from patients with autoimmune diseases except SLE. Anti-PCNA antibodies in patients with chronic HBV and HCV infection were predominantly IgG.CONCLUSION These data suggest that anti-PCNA antibody are also present in patients with chronic HBV and HCV infection. Anti-PCNA antibody may not be specific for SLE.