Liver disorders in collagen diseases

Abstract

The liver function and the histology of biopsy-liver of 87 patients with collagen diseases (SLE 23, R A 26, PM-DM 17, PSS 10, Sjo-s 7, and Aort-s 4) were examined. The obtained results were as follows: hepatomegaly in 17 cases (19.5%), jaundice in 8 (9.1%), HBs-Ag positive in 2 (2.8%), HBs-Ab positive in 18 (20.7%), abnormal Al-p levels in 15 (17.2%) and abnormal ICG levels in 16 (18.4%). Abnormal transaminase levels were found in 61 cases (70.1%). Among them, 36 cases had GOT values over 100 Ku and 16 cases had GPT values over 100 Ku. These abnormalities were found more frequently in patients with SLE and PM-DM. Histological findings of the 40 biopsy-liver specimens were as follows: chronic hepatitis in 6, acute hepatitis in 3, nonspecific reactive hepatitis in 13, fatty degeneration in 11, and normal findings in 7 cases. Among them, prominent histological changes were found more frequently in patients with SLE and Sjo-s. These histological changes were assumed to be mostly caused by similar mechanism for tissue damages to those found in each collagen diseases, though in some cases other mechanisms of liver damage such as drug allergy, obesity, virus infection or metastasis of malignancy were suspected. © 1981, The Japan Society of Hepatology. All rights reserved.