What does positive anti-smooth muscle antibody mean?
Anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMAs) attack several structural proteins in smooth muscle, affecting the liver and other tissues. The presence of ASMA in the blood indicates that a person may have autoimmune hepatitis or another disease that damages the liver.
What is a normal smooth muscle antibody?
They have been found in less than 2% of the normal population. Antibody titres are in the range of 160 to 320 in Type 1 chronic active hepatitis but are often lower, in the other conditions listed above. They can be found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis but probably not SLE.
Is ANA positive in autoimmune hepatitis?
About 50–75% of AIH patients are ANA-positive (with or without anti-SMA) (24). ANA can also be detected in healthy persons or patients with other liver diseases such as fatty liver disease, drug-induced liver injury (DILI) disease, or viral hepatitis. The pattern of ANA in AIH often is speckled or homogenous.
Can liver disease cause positive ANA?
ANA were present in approximately 10–40 % of patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease (CLD) [41–44]. Molecular mimicry between viral and self antigens may trigger the immunological cross-reaction.
Is SMA an autoimmune disease?
SMAs attack smooth muscle tissues in the liver and other parts of the body. If SMAs are found in your blood, it is likely you have autoimmune hepatitis. Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease in which the immune system attacks liver tissues.
What is ANA test called?
An antinuclear antibody test is a blood test that looks for certain kinds of antibodies in your body. It’s also called an ANA or FANA (fluorescent antinuclear antibody) test. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other germs.
Can fatty liver cause positive smooth muscle?
Fatty Liver Disease specifically studied the prevalence of ‘non-organ-specific’ antibodies in 84 patients with NAFLD. They documented positivity for ANA in 21%, anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA) in 5%, both in 7% and AMA in 2%; three patients with ANA showed overlapping histology of NASH and autoimmune hepatitis.
Where can I find anti smooth muscle antibodies?
Anti-smooth muscle antibodies are found in autoimmune liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). If you have chronic liver disease, it’s likely your healthcare provider will perform an ASMA test.
What is an anti smooth muscle antibody ( Asma ) test?
What is an anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA) test? An anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA) test detects antibodies that attack smooth muscle. This test requires a blood sample. Your immune system detects substances called antigens that may be harmful to your body. Viruses and bacteria are covered with antigens.
What kind of autoimmune disease attacks smooth muscle?
If your body starts attacking itself, you may develop an autoimmune disorder. An ASMA test looks for the one type of autoantibody that attacks smooth muscle. Anti-smooth muscle antibodies are found in autoimmune liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).
What kind of biopsy is needed for SMA test?
If your results showed that you or your child has SMA antibodies, your provider may order a liver biopsy to confirm a diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis. A biopsy is a procedure that removes a small sample of tissue for testing.