What are smooth muscle antibodies?
Smooth muscle antibodies, also called antibodies against smooth muscle (ASMA), are abnormal proteins produced by the immune system. Healthy people usually do not have these antibodies present in their blood. They are produced in conjunction with a number of diseases, but are most closely associated with the condition called autoimmune hepatitis. The human blood control for the presence of these antibodies can be useful in the diagnosis of what could have a basic disease.
antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells. They are binding to foreign or pathological substances in the body so that the immune system can attack and destroy them. In some people, the immune system becomes dysregulated and begins to attack the native components of the body; Antibodies produced as a result of this pathological process are called autoantibodies. Smooth muscle antibodies are considered to be autoantibodies because they attach themselves to their own smooth muscles of the body, which is a type of tissue in blood vessels, respiratory tract, gastrointEstinal tract and eyes. Measurement of the concentration of these antibodies in the blood can help confirm the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis if their level reaches a certain threshold. Unfortunately, monitoring the levels of these antibodies is not useful in determining whether the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis works. In other words, decreasing antibody levels does not necessarily mean that the disease is improving.
other diseases can also lead to low levels of smooth muscle antibodies. Patients with a disease called primary biliary cirrhosis, a different autoimmune disease affecting the function of the liver may sometimes have low levels of smooth muscle in the blood. Infectious mononucleosis, commonly referred to as mono, can also occasionally cause patients positive tests for the presence of these antibodies.
The most important clinical use of smooth muscle antibodies is for diagnostic purposes. For exampleOLA of this level is useful in patients with unexplained abnormalities in laboratory tests measuring liver function. The high level of these antibodies indicates the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis as the causes of abnormal liver tests. Lupus distinguishing between autoimmune hepatitis is another common use for these antibodies. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects many body systems, including liver, but patients with lupus should not have antibodies with smooth muscles.