Autoimmune Liver Disease Panel

How to Prepare for the Test

You do not need to take special steps before this test.

How the Test will Feel

You may feel slight pain or a sting when the needle is inserted to draw blood. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.

Why the Test is Performed

Autoimmune disorders are a possible cause of liver disease. The most common of these diseases are autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.

This group of tests helps your health care provider diagnose liver disease.

Normal Results

Protein levels:

The normal range for protein levels in the blood will change with each laboratory. Please check with your health care provider for the normal ranges in your particular laboratory.

Antibodies:

Negative results on all antibodies are normal.

Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.

The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Blood tests for autoimmune diseases are not wholly accurate. They can have false negative results (you have the disease, but the test is negative) and false positive results (you do not have the disease, but the test is positive).

A weakly positive or low titer positive test for autoimmune disease is often not due to any disease.

A positive test on the panel may be a sign of autoimmune hepatitis or other autoimmune liver disease.

If the test is positive mostly for anti-mitochondrial antibodies, you are likely to have primary biliary cirrhosis.

If the immune proteins are high and albumin is low, you may have liver cirrhosis or chronic active hepatitis.

Risks

Slight risks from having blood drawn include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)

References

Angulo P, Lindor KD. Primary biliary cirrhosis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2010:chap 89.

Czaia AJ. Autoimmune hepatitis. In: In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2010:chap 88.

Pawlotsky JM, Mchutchinson J. Chronic viral and autoimmune hepatitis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 151.