Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Autoimmune HepatitisAutoimmune Hepatitis SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCopingA Word From VerywellFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types of Autoimmune Hepatitis
Autoimmune Hepatitis Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
A Word From Verywell
Frequently Asked Questions
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic condition that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your liver. Theliveris a major organ located on the right side of your abdomen. It helps you digest food and filter waste from the body.
When the immune system attacks the liver cells, the liver becomes inflamed and liver damage can occur.The termhepatitisrefers toinflammation and swelling of the liver. When left untreated, autoimmune hepatitis can lead tocirrhosis, chronic liver damage leading to scarring of the liver and liver failure.
What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
Verywell / Danie Drankwalter
Fortunately, autoimmune hepatitis is treatable with corticosteroids and outcomes are good in patients who seek early treatment.
Why Autoimmune Diseases Affect More Women Than Men
Autoimmune hepatitis symptoms vary from person to person. You may first notice a feeling of extreme tiredness orfatigue. Other common symptoms include:
Less common symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis include:
What Are Autoimmune Diseases?
Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when theimmune systemattacks the liver cells, causing inflammation and long-term damage. The exact cause is unknown, but it’s believed that a combination of genetic and environmental factors can lead to this condition.
Individuals who have the following genes are more likely to be diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis:
Autoimmune hepatitis is also associated with other autoimmune conditions. If you have any of the following chronic conditions, you may be at higher risk of contracting autoimmune hepatitis:
Up to 26%–49% of the individuals with autoimmune hepatitis will also have other autoimmune diseases.
Causes and Risk Factors of Autoimmune Disease
Blood tests used to diagnose autoimmune hepatitis include:
You may also have imaging tests such as:
Hepatologist vs. Gastroenterologist
The goal of autoimmune hepatitis treatment is to control the disease and alleviate symptoms. The steroid prednisone is usually prescribed to suppress the immune system’s response and protect the liver.
Autoimmune hepatitis can be controlled but not cured. Treatment may include years of steroid use. It is possible that you may require medication for the rest of your life.
Possible side effects of long-term steroid use include:
Because of the risk of osteoporosis with steroid use, your doctor may recommend taking a calcium andvitamin D supplementto protect your bones.
How to Reduce Prednisone Side Effects
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic condition that may require lifelong treatment. Once you start steroid therapy to suppress your immune system’s attack on the liver, it can take at least six months to two years to achieve healthy liver enzyme levels.
It is possible to go into remission from autoimmune hepatitis. Once your blood tests have reached normal levels, your medical team will work with you to develop a management plan. It is possible for some individuals to discontinue their steroid medication. However, most people require lifelong treatment.
Once you have started treatment, it can take six months to a few years for the disease to go into remission. Some people can stop taking their medicine, but often the disease comes back. Some people need to remain on treatment if they have relapsed many times or if their disease is severe. In some cases, autoimmune hepatitis may go away without taking any medicine. But for most people, autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic disease.
If steroid therapy is not effective for you, it is possible for autoimmune hepatitis to progress to cirrhosis. This could mean that you will need a liver transplant at some point.About 4% of liver transplants in the United States and Europe are used to treat autoimmune hepatitis.
For individuals who respond positively to steroid treatment, the 10-year survival rate is 83.8%–94%. Without any treatment, 40%–50% of individuals with severe autoimmune hepatitis will die within six months to five years.
Finding ways to cope with the physical symptoms and stress is an important part of your treatment. Studies have shown that not following your treatment plan is associated with a lower quality of life.
Ask questions at your medical appointments to make sure you understand your treatment plan. If you are unable to adhere to your plan or are experiencing side effects, talk with your medical team before stopping treatment.
It is common to experience anxiety and depression with autoimmune hepatitis, so finding coping strategies to help improve your quality of life is crucial. Ask your doctor for a referral to a mental health provider to help you manage the stress of living with autoimmune hepatitis. An in-person support group or online support community may be helpful as well.
Summary
It’s not clear what causes autoimmune hepatitis, but many researchers believe it’s due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. People with an autoimmune disease may be more likely to develop autoimmune hepatitis. Certain medications can contribute to the condition as well.
Hearing that you have autoimmune hepatitis can be an overwhelming experience, and you may be feeling sad, frustrated, and anxious right now. It is helpful to remember that early diagnosis and treatment are important to achieving a good prognosis.
If you have noticed symptoms such as fatigue or yellowing skin, see your doctor right away. Your medical team will likely recommend blood tests and a liver biopsy to diagnose the condition. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, they will then discuss steroid therapy for treatment. While autoimmune hepatitis often requires lifetime treatment, it is still possible to live a full, healthy life with this condition.
What is it like to live with autoimmune hepatitis?
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic condition that may require treatment for the rest of your life. Once your liver function blood tests have returned to a healthy range, your medical team may be able to reduce your steroid use. Most individuals who are treated for autoimmune hepatitis have a good prognosis and do not experience additional complications. While you may need to take a medication every day, you can still go on to live a full, healthy life.
Who is at risk of getting autoimmune hepatitis?
Women are at higher risk for autoimmune hepatitis than men. Having another autoimmune disease can raise your risk of autoimmune hepatitis, such as type 1 diabetes, thyroiditis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Do patients recover from autoimmune hepatitis treatment?
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic condition, and while it can be managed, it usually cannot be cured. It is possible to achieve remission from autoimmune hepatitis with the use of steroids. However, most individuals will require treatment for the rest of their lives. The 10-year survival rate for people being treated for autoimmune hepatitis is between 83.8%–94%. Without treatment, the survival rate falls to 50%–60%.
What do researchers know about what causes autoimmune hepatitis?
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gatselis NK, Zachou K, Koukoulis GK, Dalekos GN.Autoimmune hepatitis, one disease with many faces: etiopathogenetic, clinico-laboratory and histological characteristics.World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan 7;21(1):60-83. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.60MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Epidemiology.MedlinePlus.Autoimmune hepatitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Autoimmune hepatitis.Manns MP, Lohse AW, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis–Update 2015.J Hepatol. 2015 Apr;62(1 Suppl):S100-11. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2015.03.005Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli B, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis: Standard treatment and systematic review of alternative treatments.World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 7;23(33):6030-6048. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i33.6030Pape S, Schramm C, Gevers TJ.Clinical management of autoimmune hepatitis.United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Nov;7(9):1156-1163. doi:10.1177/2050640619872408Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Prognosis.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gatselis NK, Zachou K, Koukoulis GK, Dalekos GN.Autoimmune hepatitis, one disease with many faces: etiopathogenetic, clinico-laboratory and histological characteristics.World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan 7;21(1):60-83. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.60MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Epidemiology.MedlinePlus.Autoimmune hepatitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Autoimmune hepatitis.Manns MP, Lohse AW, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis–Update 2015.J Hepatol. 2015 Apr;62(1 Suppl):S100-11. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2015.03.005Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli B, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis: Standard treatment and systematic review of alternative treatments.World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 7;23(33):6030-6048. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i33.6030Pape S, Schramm C, Gevers TJ.Clinical management of autoimmune hepatitis.United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Nov;7(9):1156-1163. doi:10.1177/2050640619872408Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Prognosis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gatselis NK, Zachou K, Koukoulis GK, Dalekos GN.Autoimmune hepatitis, one disease with many faces: etiopathogenetic, clinico-laboratory and histological characteristics.World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan 7;21(1):60-83. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.60MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Epidemiology.MedlinePlus.Autoimmune hepatitis.John Hopkins Medicine.Autoimmune hepatitis.Manns MP, Lohse AW, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis–Update 2015.J Hepatol. 2015 Apr;62(1 Suppl):S100-11. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2015.03.005Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli B, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis: Standard treatment and systematic review of alternative treatments.World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 7;23(33):6030-6048. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i33.6030Pape S, Schramm C, Gevers TJ.Clinical management of autoimmune hepatitis.United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Nov;7(9):1156-1163. doi:10.1177/2050640619872408Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Prognosis.
Gatselis NK, Zachou K, Koukoulis GK, Dalekos GN.Autoimmune hepatitis, one disease with many faces: etiopathogenetic, clinico-laboratory and histological characteristics.World J Gastroenterol. 2015 Jan 7;21(1):60-83. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.60
MedlinePlus.Autoimmune diseases.
Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Epidemiology.
MedlinePlus.Autoimmune hepatitis.
John Hopkins Medicine.Autoimmune hepatitis.
Manns MP, Lohse AW, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis–Update 2015.J Hepatol. 2015 Apr;62(1 Suppl):S100-11. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2015.03.005
Terziroli Beretta-Piccoli B, Mieli-Vergani G, Vergani D.Autoimmune hepatitis: Standard treatment and systematic review of alternative treatments.World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 7;23(33):6030-6048. doi:10.3748/wjg.v23.i33.6030
Pape S, Schramm C, Gevers TJ.Clinical management of autoimmune hepatitis.United European Gastroenterol J. 2019 Nov;7(9):1156-1163. doi:10.1177/2050640619872408
Cleveland Clinic.Autoimmune hepatitis: Prognosis.
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