11/08/2025
๐ Best of The Liver Meeting: A New Antibody Discovery in Autoimmune Hepatitis
One of the exciting new studies shared at this yearโs Liver Meeting looked for better blood tests to help doctors diagnose autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).
Right now, doctors often check for certain autoantibodies like ANA or ASMA, but these arenโt specific to AIH โ meaning they can show up in other diseases too. That can make diagnosis tricky.
๐งช What the researchers did:
Scientists studied blood from people with AIH and from healthy volunteers. They looked at more than 16,000 different human proteins to see if any unique antibodies showed up only in people with AIH.
They discovered that patients with AIH often had higher levels of a new antibody โ called anti-DOK2. This antibody was found in people with AIH but not in most people with other liver diseases or in healthy controls.
The researchers also found that higher levels of anti-DOK2 were linked to:
-Higher IgG levels (a sign of immune system activity)
-More active inflammation in the liver
๐ก What this means for patients:
This study is the first to identify anti-DOK2 antibodies as a possible marker for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). If future research confirms these findings, this test might help:
-Diagnose AIH more accurately
-Monitor disease activity or response to treatment
-Improve our understanding of what causes AIH
Right now, doctors often check for certain autoantibodies, like ANA or ASMA, but these arenโt specific to AIH โ meaning they can also show up in other diseases. That can make diagnosis tricky.
While itโs still early, this discovery gives hope that better and more specific tests for AIH could be on the way โ helping patients and doctors get answers faster.
