| Autoimmune Hepatitis is a disease in which the | | | | hepatitis. |
| body's immune system attacks the liver cells. Like | | | | Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis is most |
| Ulcerative Colitis, and other autoimmune diseases, | | | | effective when the disease is diagnosed early. |
| Autoimmune Hepatits causes inflammation of the | | | | Treatment consists primarily of medications that |
| affected organ. If left untreated over time, this | | | | suppress the immune system. To treat the |
| disease can lead to cirrhosis pf the liver, and | | | | disease, the doctor may prescribe prednisone, |
| eventually liver failure. This chronic condition is | | | | which is a corticosteroid. Prednisone, or other |
| potentially fatal. Type 1 Autoimmune Hepatitis, in, | | | | corticosteroids may have some unpleasant side |
| many cases, also occurs with other autoimmune | | | | effects. These side effects increased acne, filling |
| disorders such as Ulcerative Colitis, type 1 | | | | or rounding out of the face, weight gain, thinning |
| diabetes, autoimmune anemia, Graves' disease, | | | | of bones, thinning of hair and skin, high blood |
| Sjögren's syndrome, thyroiditis and | | | | pressure, diabetes, cataracts, glaucoma, |
| proliferative glomerulonephritis. Type 2 | | | | depression, anxiety and confusion. Athzathioprine |
| Autoimmune Hepatitis is less common and mostly | | | | (Imuran) is another medication that is prescribed in |
| affects girls ages 2 to 14; however this type can | | | | the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. Like |
| also be found in adults. | | | | prednisone, this medicine is also used to suppress |
| Symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis range from | | | | the immune system as well as helping lower the |
| mild to severe. The symptoms may include | | | | doses of prednisone needed while reducing it's side |
| fatigue, abdominal discomfort, joint pain, skin rash, | | | | effects. Once the disease is under control, the |
| enlarged liver, jaundice, itching, nausea, vomiting, | | | | physician may prescribe azathioprine, in addition to |
| dark urine, loss of appetite, abnormal blood | | | | prednisone. Possible side effects of azathioprine |
| vessels on the skin, fatigue and pale or gray | | | | may include lowered blood cell count, nausea and |
| colored stools. Mental confusion and fluid in the | | | | poor appetite. Rare side effects include an allergic |
| abdomen can sometimes be found in patients | | | | reaction, pancreatitis and liver damage. The |
| with advanced stages of the disease. Please note | | | | duration of treatment varies from individual to |
| that the symptoms of viral hepatitis and other | | | | individual in that some may eventually stop |
| forms of hepatitis that are caused by a drug are | | | | treatment followed by close monitoring or in |
| very similar. With this in mind, other tests may be | | | | some cases it may be necessary to contintue the |
| needed by a physician to rule out these other | | | | treatments for life. However, for those whose |
| forms of disease, and to confirm Autoimmune | | | | treatment has been stopped, it is possible that |
| Hepatitis. | | | | the disease may return even worse than before, |
| Diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis is based on | | | | especially during the first few months after |
| symptoms as well as a liver biopsy and blood | | | | stopping treatment. Within 2 years of starting |
| tests. For a liver biopsy, the patient goes to an | | | | treatment, 7 out of 10 people will have the |
| outpatient surgical center or to a hospital. The | | | | disease go into remission. However, the |
| doctor will take a small sample of liver tissue to | | | | symptoms will return within 3 years, so treatment |
| examine under a microscope. This examination will | | | | for autoimmune hepatitis is an ongoing process. |
| accurately diagnose autoimmune hepatitis and it's | | | | Other treatments are also possible for those |
| seriousness. While a routine blood test can reveal | | | | patients who do not respond to standard immune |
| a patterns that are typical in a hepatitis case, | | | | therapy or who have severe side effects. These |
| further blood test are needed to diagnose | | | | include medicines such as tacrolimus, cyclosporine |
| autoimmune hepatitis especially for autoantibodies. | | | | or mycophenylate mofetil, which are also |
| The pattern and the level of antibodies in the | | | | immunosuppressive agents. Liver transplants are |
| blood help define if the disease is a type 1 or type | | | | needed for those with cirrhosis and or end stage |
| 2 classification. These tests will also help distinguish | | | | liver disease. |
| autoimmune hepatitis from other forms of | | | | |