AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS

Course overview

AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS REFERS TO CHRONIC AND PROGRESSIVE INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER FROM AN UNKNOWN CAUSE. THE PROPOSED MECHANISM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS IS THOUGHT TO BE THE INTERPLAY OF GENETIC PREDISPOSITION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGER, AND FAILURE OF THE NATIVE IMMUNE SYSTEM RESULTING IN CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF HEPATOCYTES AND SUBSEQUENT FIBROSIS OF THE LIVER. THERE ARE TWO KNOWN TYPES OF AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS. TYPE 1 IS DISTINGUISHED BY THE PRESENCE OF ANTI-SMOOTH MUSCLE ANTIBODIES (ASMA) WITH OR WITHOUT ANTI-NUCLEAR ANTIBODIES (ANA). TYPE 2 AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS PRESENTS WITH POSITIVE ANTI-LIVER/ANTI-KIDNEY MICROSOME (ANTI-LMK) TYPE 1 ANTIBODIES OR ANTI-LIVER CYTOSOL (ANTI-LC) TYPE 1 ANTIBODIES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, CAUSES, PRESENTATION, AND DIAGNOSIS OF AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.