AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS AND PREGNANCY

Course overview

AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS (AIH) IS A CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY LIVER DISORDER USUALLY CHARACTERIZED BY CIRCULATING AUTOANTIBODIES AND ELEVATED SERUM GLOBULIN LEVELS. THE DISEASE'S PATHOLOGY IS THAT OF A GRADUAL HEPATOCELLULAR INFLAMMATION THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY MORE COMMON ETIOLOGIES OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE, SUCH AS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, VIRAL INFECTION, EXPOSURE TO HEPATOTOXIC SUBSTANCES, AND HEREDITARY LIVER DISORDERS. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF AIH MAY PROGRESS FROM ACUTE HEPATITIS TO CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE AND, ULTIMATELY, TO CIRRHOSIS. THE DISEASE MORE COMMONLY AFFECTS WOMEN AND MANIFESTS AT CHILDBEARING AGE. AIH WILL FLARE DURING PREGNANCY, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGH RATE OF FETAL AND MATERNAL COMPLICATIONS. THE DATA REGARDING PREGNANCY IN WOMEN WITH AIH IS LIMITED, AND FEW STUDIES EXIST ON PREGNANCY OUTCOMES IN THESE WOMEN. HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF PREGNANCIES REPORTED IN THESE PATIENTS IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT DUE TO BETTER CLINICAL MANAGEMENT AND HIGH-QUALITY PRENATAL AND ANTENATAL CARE. CURRENTLY, PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH IN AIH APPEAR TO BE SAFE FOR BOTH MOTHER AND CHILD. THIS ACTIVITY ADDRESSES REPORT EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AIH DURING PREGNANCY AND HIGHLIGHTS INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS' ROLE IN COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE WELL-COORDINATED CARE TO ENHANCE PATIENT OUTCOMES.