Autoimmune
Hepatitis
Epidemiology:
- Female
predominance (78%)
- Particularly
young and perimenopausal women
- White Northern Europeans highest incidence
Common sites:
Gross features:
Histologic features:
- prominent
inflammatory infiltrates of lymphocytes and plasma cells
- prominent plasma
cells in infiltrate is a clue
- parenchymal inflammation is more prominent than
in viral hepatitis – it is harder to find portal tracts
- destruction of bile
ducts in a small subset
Immunophenotype:
Marker:
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Sensitivity:
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Specificity:
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Molecular features:
Other features:
- elevated IgG and gamma-globulin
- high serum titers of autoantibodies
(80%)
- ANA, anti-smooth muscle (SMA), antiliver/kidney microsomes
(anti-LKM1) antibodies
- Negative antimitochondrial antibody (AMA)
- Negative viral
serologic markers
- Associated with
other autoimmune diseases (60%)
- RA, thyroiditis, Sjogren, UC
References: