Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3285303 | Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology | 2007 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Background & Aims: Acute onset autoimmune hepatitis (acute AIH) is difficult to diagnose by using serologic data. In addition, some patients with the severe form of acute AIH do not respond to immunosuppressive therapy and have a poor outcome. In this study, we analyzed the clinicopathologic features of patients who were diagnosed as having acute AIH. Methods: Retrospective review of patients with presumed acute AIH at Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine was performed. Results: In liver tissue, infiltrates in the portal area and plasma cell infiltration are more common in acute AIH compared with acute hepatitis caused by other causes. Patients with acute AIH who did not have severe jaundice at the time of diagnosis exhibited a very good response to corticosteroid therapy, despite lower titers of antinuclear antibody (ANA). Most patients with acute AIH with higher levels of bilirubin and titers of ANA in sera respond poorly to corticosteroid therapy. Conclusions: Histologic findings might be useful for the early diagnosis of acute AIH. Acute AIH patients with high levels of bilirubin and high titers of ANA in sera often do not respond to corticosteroid therapy.
Related Topics
Health Sciences
Medicine and Dentistry
Gastroenterology
Authors
Masanori Abe, Morikazu Onji, Keiko Kawai-Ninomiya, Kojiro Michitaka, Bunzo Matsuura, Yoichi Hiasa, Norio Horiike,