Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics
Autoimmune Hepatitis
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General Principles
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammation of the liver of unknown cause, associated with circulating autoantibodies and hyperglobulinemia.
- Women are affected more than men (gender ratio 4:1).
- Extrahepatic manifestations may be found in 30%–50% of patients and include synovitis, celiac disease, Coombs-positive hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thyroiditis, Graves disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis (UC), and other immune-mediated processes.
Two types of AIH have been proposed based on differences in their immunologic markers. They have a good response to corticosteroid therapy.
- Type I AIH is the most common form of the disease and constitutes 80% of AIH cases. It is associated with antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti–smooth muscle antibodies.
- Type 2 AIH is characterized by antibodies to liver/kidney microsome type 1 and/or liver cytosol type 1. This type is predominately seen in children and young adults.
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General Principles
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammation of the liver of unknown cause, associated with circulating autoantibodies and hyperglobulinemia.
- Women are affected more than men (gender ratio 4:1).
- Extrahepatic manifestations may be found in 30%–50% of patients and include synovitis, celiac disease, Coombs-positive hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thyroiditis, Graves disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis (UC), and other immune-mediated processes.
Two types of AIH have been proposed based on differences in their immunologic markers. They have a good response to corticosteroid therapy.
- Type I AIH is the most common form of the disease and constitutes 80% of AIH cases. It is associated with antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti–smooth muscle antibodies.
- Type 2 AIH is characterized by antibodies to liver/kidney microsome type 1 and/or liver cytosol type 1. This type is predominately seen in children and young adults.
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