Autoimmune hepatitis

Summary

Autoimmune hepatitis is liver inflammation that occurs when your body's immune system turns against liver cells. The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unclear, but genetic and enviromental factors appear to interact over time in triggering the disease.

Untreated autoimmune hepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and eventually to liver failure. When diagnosed and treated early, however, autoimmune hepatitis often can be controlled with drugs that suppress the immune system.

A liver transplant may be an option when autoimmune hepatitis doesn't respond to drug treatments or in cases of advanced liver disease…

Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body's immune system, which ordinarily attacks viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, instead targets the liver. This attack on your liver can lead to chronic inflammation and serious damage to liver cells. Just why the body turns against itself is unclear, but researchers think autoimmune hepatitis could be caused by the interaction of genes controlling immune system function and exposure to particular viruses or drugs.

Types of autoimmune hepatitis

Doctors have identified two main forms of autoimmune hepatitis.

• Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. This is the most common type of the disease. It can occur at any age. About half the people with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis have other autoimmune disorders, such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.

• Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. Although adults can develop type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, it's most common in children and young people. Other autoimmune diseases may accompany this type of autoimmune hepatitis.

(Autoimmune Association, 2023)

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis vary from person to person and may come on suddenly. Some people have few, if any, recognized problems in the early stages of the disease, whereas others experience signs and symptoms that may include:

• Fatigue

• Abdominal discomfort

• Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

• An enlarged liver

• Abnormal blood vessels on the skin (spider angiomas)

• Skin rashes

• Joint pains

• Loss of menstrual periods

(Autoimmune Association, 2023)

Diagnostic Criteria

Under Investigation

Diagnostic Tests

Under Investigation

Organized Autoimmunity

(Alternative Autoimmune Disease Classification: FIEM, MIEM or BIEM)

1. sex predominance (is an autoimmune disease primarily found in genetic Females, Males, or equally in Both?)

   1. Female, Male, or Both. (Autoimmune Association, 2023)

2. Inherited gene variations that cause increased susceptibility

   1. Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Associations

      1. Under Investigation

   2. Other Gene Variations

      1. Under Investigation

3. Gene Triggering Environmental Exposures

   1. Infections

      1. Viruses

         1. Measles

         2. Herpes Simplex

         3. Epstein-Barr

         4. Hepatitis A, B or C

            1. (Autoimmune Association, 2023)

   2. Toxins

      1. Under Investigation

   3. Stress

      1. Under Investigation

4. Multiple interactive and destructive immune system pathologies

   1. Under Investigation

Tissue-Type or Cell-Type Attacked

Under Investigation

Treatment

Under Investigation

Managing Specialist(s)

Under Investigation

Research Authors

Under Investigation

Research Institutions

Under Investigation

Average Time from Symptom Onset to Diagnosis

Under Investigation

Last Updated

February 16, 2023

References

Autoimmune Hepatitis. Autoimmune Association. (2023, January 05). Retrieved February 16, 2023 from https://autoimmune.org/disease-information/autoimmune-hepatitis/