Autoimmune hepatitis

At a glance

• Chronic immune-mediated hepatitis with interface hepatitis, raised IgG and circulating autoantibodies. Women outnumber men about 3 to 1, at any age.
• Presentation ranges from abnormal LFTs in a well patient to acute liver failure. About a third already have cirrhosis at diagnosis.
• Untreated, active disease progresses to cirrhosis and death. Treated, most patients have near-normal life expectancy.