Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks the liver, causing inflammation and injury. It is considered an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues.

The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is not yet fully understood, but it is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Women are more commonly affected by autoimmune hepatitis than men.

Symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis can include:

• Fatigue
• Joint pain
• Abdominal pain
• Itching
• Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Dark urine
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting

Diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis typically involves a thorough evaluation by a healthcare professional, including medical history, physical exam, and laboratory tests, such as blood tests and liver function tests.

Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis typically involves medications that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. In severe cases, a liver transplant may be necessary.

It's important to work with a healthcare professional to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your individual needs and medical history. Regular follow-up care is also important to monitor the progression of the disease and ensure the best possible outcomes.

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 the interaction of genes controlling immune system function and exposure to particular viruses or drugs.

Types of autoimmune hepatitis

Doctors have identified two main forms of autoimmune hepatitis.

• Type 1 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 celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.
• Type 2 autoimmune hepatitis. Although adults can develop type 2 autoimmune hepatitis, it's most common in children and young people. Other autoimmune diseases may accompany this type of autoimmune hepatitis.

Regardless of which type of autoimmune hepatitis you have, the goal of treatment is to slow or stop the immune system attack on your liver. This may help slow the progression of the disease. To meet this goal, you'll need medications that lower immune system activity. The initial treatment is usually prednisone. A second medication, azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), may be recommended in addition to prednisone.

Prednisone, especially when taken long term, can cause a wide range of serious side effects, including diabetes, thinning bones (osteoporosis), broken bones (osteonecrosis), high blood pressure, cataracts, glaucoma and weight gain.

Doctors typically prescribe prednisone at a high dose for about the first month of treatment. Then, to reduce the risk of side effects, they gradually reduce the dose over the next several months until reaching the lowest possible dose that controls the disease. Adding azathioprine also helps you avoid prednisone side effects.

Although you may experience remission a few years after starting treatment, the disease often returns if the drug is discontinued. Depending on your situation, you may require lifelong treatment.

Liver transplant

When medications don't halt the progress of the disease or you develop irreversible scarring (cirrhosis) or liver failure, the remaining option is a liver transplant.

During a liver transplant, your diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver from a donor. Liver transplants most often use livers from deceased organ donors. In some cases, a living-donor liver transplant can be used. During a living-donor liver transplant, you receive only a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. Both livers begin regenerating new cells almost immediately.