Detection of novel non-M2-related antimitochondrial antibodies in patients with anti-M2 negative primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract

AMA positive/anti-M2 negative PBC sera contain antibodies to further mitochondrial antigens at 60 and 80 kDa which do not correspond to any of the M2 determinants. Those antibodies can be detected to a lesser extent in sera from patients with classical anti-M2 positive PBC but not in patients with other hepatic and non-hepatic disorders and may, therefore, represent additional marker antibodies for the serological diagnosis of PBC.