Accelerated development of alcoholic cirrhosis in patients with HLA-B8.

Abstract

To test whether the increased prevalence of HLA-B8 reported in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis is due to the antigen being a genetic marker of susceptibility to liver damage from alcohol, patients who had cirrhosis of comparable clinical and histological severity were investigated for HLA-B8 status and cumulative alcohol intake. Both male and female cirrhotics with HLA-B8 had been drinking greater than 40 g alcohol/day for a shorter period of time (16.6 +/- 1.4 men, and 9.4 +/- 2.0 years, women) than their counterparts without this antigen (23.7 +/- 1.7, p less than 0.005, and 15.8 +/- 2.0 years, p less than 0.05, respectively), but the mean daily alcohol intake was similar whether patients had HLA-B8 or not. These results suggest that genetic determinants linked to HLA-B8 enhance the rate of development of liver damage in those who drink potentially hepatotoxic amounts of alcohol.

• Authors: J B Saunders, A D Wodak, A Haines, P R Powell-Jackson, B Portmann, M Davis, R Williams
• Journal: Lancet (London, England) (Lancet) Vol. 1 Issue 8286 Pg. 1381-4 (Jun 19 1982) ISSN: 0140-6736 [Print] England
• PMID: 6123678 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• HLA Antigens

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Female
• HLA Antigens (genetics, immunology)
• Hepatitis, Alcoholic (immunology)
• Humans
• Liver (pathology)
• Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic (genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Necrosis
• Risk
• United Kingdom
• White People