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Autoimmune hepatitis
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Overview
Autoimmune hepatitis is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks liver cells. This immune response causes inflammation of the liver, also called hepatitis. The disease can be quite serious and, if not treated, gets worse over time, leading to cirrhosis of the liver and/or liver failure.[1] Autoimmune hepatitis sometimes occurs in relatives of people with autoimmune diseases, suggesting a genetic cause. This disease is most common in young girls and women.[2]
References
- Autoimmune Hepatitis. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/autoimmunehep/. Accessed April 22, 2011.
- Dugdale DC, Longstreth GF. Autoimmune hepatitis. MedlinePlus. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000245.htm. Accessed April 22, 2011.
Your Questions Answered
by the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center2 question(s) from the public on Autoimmune hepatitis have been answered. See questions and answers. You can also submit a new question.
On this page
General Information
- MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
- Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
- The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), offers information on this condition. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Autoimmune hepatitis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
- The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Autoimmune hepatitis. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.