Autoimmune hepatitis
DEFINITION
Autoimmune hepatitis is inflammation in your liver that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your liver. Although the cause of autoimmune hepatitis isn’t entirely clear, some diseases, toxins and drugs may trigger autoimmune hepatitis in susceptible people, especially women.
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 when liver disease is advanced.
CAUSES
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 an interaction between several risk factors, such as infections, medications and a genetic predisposition.
Types of autoimmune hepatitis
Doctors have identified two main forms of autoimmune hepatitis:
- Type 1 (classic) 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 thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.
- Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. Although adults can develop type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, it’s most common in young girls and often occurs with other autoimmune problems.
SYMPTOMS
Signs and symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis can range from minor to severe and may come on suddenly or develop over time. 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
- Joint pain
- Itching (pruritus)
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
- An enlarged liver
- Abnormal blood vessels on the skin (spider angiomas)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Skin rashes
- Dark-colored urine
- In women, loss of menstruation
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.
