Clinical Specialties

The GW Medical Faculty Associates is an elite, academic medical team delivering care through 51 medical and surgical specialties. 

Clinical Specialties
Click Here to make an online appointment
MFA - The NewsWire
Autoimmune Hepatitis

DEFINITION

Autoimmune hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the body attacks itself. Normally, the body produces antibodies to help fight infection. Sometimes, the body mistakenly produces antibodies that are directed against the body itself, against its own liver in the case of autoimmune hepatitis. The antibodies attack the liver cells, causing severe inflammation and damage. Autoimmune hepatitis, if left untreated, can lead to cirrhosis which is a permanent scarring of the liver. The two types of autoimmune hepatitis include Type 1 which is most common and can happen at any age and Type 2 which is more frequent in younger women. Both types occur more frequently in people with other types of autoimmune disorders. Risk factors include being a woman, a history of certain infections, the use of medications like minocycline and atorvastatin, and heredity. Medications can help decrease the rate of scarring of the liver. If liver disease is severe enough, liver transplant can be considered as a treatment option. People with autoimmune hepatitis are more prone to other diseases including pernicious anemia (decreased amount of vitamin B-12), hemolytic anemia (destruction of the blood cells due to autoimmune disease), thrombocytic purpura (easy bruising and bleeding due to decreased platelets), ulcerative colitis (autoimmune disorder of the colon), autoimmune disease of the thyroid (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease (an allergy to gluten which is part of most grains). This type of liver damage can cause long term consequences including high blood pressure in the main blood vessel in the liver (portal hypertension), enlarged veins in the esophagus that can lead to bleeding (esophageal varices), fluid in the abdomen (ascites), liver failure, and increased risk of liver cancer

SYMPTOMS
Abdominal pain, fatigue, pain in the joints, itching, yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes, large liver, blood vessels visible on the skin (spider angiomas), nausea, vomiting

DIAGNOSIS
Your doctor will begin by taking a history from you and doing a physical exam. On the physical exam, your doctor will pay particular attention to the size of your liver, any extra fluid in the abdomen, and other signs of liver disease like certain visible veins on the abdomen. Your doctor may recommend drawing blood to check your liver function and certain antibodies associated with autoimmune hepatitis. Your doctor may want you to see a gastrointestinal specialist in order to have a biopsy (small sample) of the liver taken out with a long, thin needle. The sample is then sent to the laboratory where a specialized doctor called a pathologist looks at it under a microscope.

TREATMENT
The treatment of autoimmune hepatitis can involve many different types of treatment all directed at decreasing the body’s attack on itself which my help slow the disease. Medications which are available to slow the progression of disease include immunosuppressants (drugs that decrease the activity of the immune system) like prednisone, azathioprine, cyclosporine, or tacrolimus. For those with severe disease, liver transplant may be the only option. Liver transplant requires taking a medication to prevent rejection of the new liver for the rest of your life. You should discuss treatment options with your doctor.

MORE CONDITIONS:

ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES