Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic progressive hepatic disease of unknown origin; it responds well to immunosuppressive therapy but has a poor prognosis if left untreated. 70% of all patients demonstrate autoantibody titers, e.g. ANA, SMA (smooth-muscle antibodies) and antibodies against LC-1 or LKM-1. These antibodies are extremely valuable for the diagnosis of AIH; however, they are not specific for AIH, because they also appear in 10-15% of the patients with viral hepatitis or other diseases related to the immune system. In contrast, antibodies against SLA/LP (soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas antigen) detected in 30% of the AIH patients are the only antibodies specific to AIH.

In addition to the AESKULISA® tests LKM-1 and LC-1, AESKU.DIAGNOSTICS offers the SLA/LP test, the only available laboratory marker with 100% specificity for AIH. The test has a human recombinant SLA/LP coating and is essential for the diagnosis of AIH, because in 15% of the AIH patients SLA/LP antibodies are the only detectable autoantibodies.

Antibodies against AMA-M2 have a particular relevance in the laboratory diagnostics of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), because they serve as a very early marker of PBC and therefore have a prognostic value. AMA-M2 antibodies can be even detected up to 10 years prior to the development of clinical symptoms. AESKU.DIAGNOSTICS allows the extensive laboratory diagnostics of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) by offering an AMA-M2 check test with an IgG/IgM conjugate mixture in addition to the AMA-M2 IgG test.