Autoimmune hepatitis: A review

Talha Aziz Malik, Shehzad Saeed

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) is a periportal hepatitis with increased immunoglobulins and auto antibodies, which primarily responds to immunosuppression. It affects women 3.6 times more commonly than men. It is postulated that an environmental agent, either a drug or a virus or another agent seems to trigger a T-cell mediated cascade directed against liver antigens in genetically predisposed individuals to cause AIH. Diagnosis requires exclusion of other causes of liver disease. The diagnostic criteria have been defined in a simplified scoring system introduced by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG) in 2008. Current treatment of AIH is based on guidelines published by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) in 2002 and comprises of corticosteroids with azathioprine. Steroids tend to carry a high complication risk profile; hence several newer immunomodulators and biologics are in different stages of trials to assess their efficacy and safety.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)381-387
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of the Pakistan Medical Association
Volume60
Issue number5
StatePublished - May 2010
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Medicine

Keywords

  • Autoantibodies
  • Autoimmune Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Autoimmune Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Autoimmune Diseases* / genetics
  • Female
  • Hepatitis* / diagonsis
  • Autoimmune Diseases* / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases* / therapy
  • Hepatisis* / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis* / genetics
  • Hepatitis* / immunology
  • Hepatitis* / therapy
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune* / diagnosis
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune* / epidemiology
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune* / immunology
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prognosis

Disciplines

  • Pediatrics
  • Immune System Diseases

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