Autoimmune liver diseases are chronic liver diseases caused by the attack of the immune system against liver cells. They result from a variety of factors, including environmental, genetic and infectious. This study aims to compare the seropositivity of autoantibodies associated with autoimmune hepatopathy between patients previously exposed to HBV, HIV and these two viruses simultaneously, with patients who have never been in contact with HBV and HIV. We conducted a retrospective case-control study at Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca, from June 2023 to February 2024, on 80 patients divided into three groups: a control group without exposure to HBV and HIV, and two groups of cases involving HBV-infected patients and HIV. We evaluated the seroprevalence of autoantibodies associated with autoimmune hepatopathy using the immunodot technique with the LI7 DIV-24 kit and the Blue Diver automaton. Hbs antigen and total Hbc antibodies were detected by automated immuno-chemiluminescence. We found a seroprevalence of autoantibodies associated with autoimmune liver disease of 4% in controls, 30% in HBV-infected patients and 28.60% in HIV-infected patients. Anti-M2/nPDC and anti-Gp210 antibodies were positive in both HBV and HIV groups, anti-SLA predominated in HBV-infected patients, while anti-F-actin antibodies were more frequent in HIV-infected patients (P<0.02). In conclusion, our study, in agreement with several bibliographic data, suggests an established association between HBV, HIV and HBV-HIV co-infection and autoimmune hepatopathy.

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between total anti-Hbc antibody seropositivity and anti-nuclear antibody seropositivity, in order to prove an association between hepatitis B virus infection and the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Material and methods: Retrospective case-control study, conducted in the immunology department of CHU Ibn Rochd of Casablanca from January 2017 to January 2022, evaluating the results of the analyses of 1099 patients, in whom a search for antinuclear antibodies was simultaneously carried out with the search for Hbs antigen and total anti-Hbc antibodies. The patients were divided into two groups. A control group with 937 Hbs antigen and Hbct antibody negative patients and a case group with 162 patients positive for total anti-Hbc antibody. Testing for antinuclear antibodies was performed by indirect immunofluorescence on slides sensitised with Hep-2 cells. Hbs antigen and total anti-Hbc antibodies were tested by automated immunochemiluminescence. Results: We obtained a seroprevalence of anti-nuclear antibodies of 40.75% in the case group and 22% in the control group (P <0.0001). No statistically significant difference between the two groups in the frequency distribution of fluorescence patterns in antinuclear antibodies positive patients was observed (P = 0.617). Conclusion: Our study, in correlation with various literature data, affirms an established association between hepatitis B virus and various autoimmune diseases.