Ninety-four HCV-positive CLD cases (56 males and 38 females with a mean age of 36 years) were matched to 50 HCV-ve CLD patients as a control group (30 males and 20 females with a mean age of 43 years). HCV antibody was screened by second generation ELISA, Ortho.. Autoantibodies (SMA, ANA, AMA, LKM1, SMA-anti-actin) were screened by immunofluorescence on cryostat murine sections using 1:40 serum dilution. Screening showed that 40 of 94 42.5%) HCV-positive CLD patients were positive for autoantibodies. Thirty eight of these were +ve for smooth muscle antibody (SMA) (40.4%), but all of them were negative for anti-actin, 3 were +ve for antinuclear antibody (ANA) (3.19%), while another 2 were +ve for antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) (2.1%). In the control group, 8(16%) were autoantibody +ve, 6 (12%) were SMA +ve, 2 (4%) were ANA +ve, 1 (2%) was AMA +ve and non had LKM1-Ab. There was significant difference between cases and controls concerning the autoantibody prevalence (P < 0.05). Although the prevalence of SMA among HCV +ve CLD cases was high (40%), yet, anti-actin antibody was totally negative, disclosing the insignificance of SMA positivity. It has been reported that the relevant SMA-AIH-1 is directed to the cell actin, whereas other SMAs have nothing to do with the immuno-pathogenesis of AIH.
Conclusion: It seems that the predominant HCV genotype in Egypt is hardly associated with autoimmune phenomena.