Description

Autoimmune hepatitis is a condition that occurs when your immune system mistakenly targets and attacks your liver cells, leading to long-term chronic liver inflammation, swelling, and damage. It may occur at any age and typically affects women more than men. It is often linked to other autoimmune diseases. The precise cause of autoimmune hepatitis is not fully understood, but it's believed that a combination of genetic and environmental factors plays a role in initiating the disease over time. When diagnosed and treated promptly, autoimmune hepatitis can often be managed with medications that dampen the immune response. In situations where drug treatments don't work or in advanced liver disease cases, a liver transplant might be considered an option.

Prevalence

US Cases: 80,000 [Francque 2012] Approximately 24 per 100,000.

Typical Age of onset

Type 1: Most common in women ages 15-40
Type 2: most common in girls age 2-14

Symptoms

• Fatigue

• Joint pains and muscle pain

• Skin rash

• Edema

• Abnormal skin blood vessels

• Dark urine

• Nausea and vomiting

• Abdominal pain and diarrhea

Resources

Link to Clinical Trials

Link to Scientific Publications

References

Johns Hopkins Medicine
MayoClinic
Medscape
WebMD
World Journal of Gastroenterology

Profile by Sheereen Abdul Kabir
April 2024 Update by Lauren Young