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| | Title: | About Autoimmune Hepatitis | | Article: | Autoimmune Hepatitis
When immune system attacks liver cells, autoimmune
hepatitis develops.
The hepatitis is the inflammation of lever. The
reasons are not clear, but genetic factors play a role
in autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune hepatitis hurts
women mostly.
Normal immune system protects body from viruses,
bacteria, and parasites. Sometimes it gets wacked and
attacks own body. This leads to autoimmune diseases.
it is possible that certain bacteria, viruses or
toxins trigger the wrong reaction.
The disease is chronic and gets worse over time. It
lasts for years. The worse outcome is the cirrhosis
(scarring) of the liver and death eventually.
Autoimmune hepatitis of type I occurs in women mostly.
The women often have other autoimmune diseases:
diabetes, glomerulonephritis, Graves' disease,
Sjogren's syndrome, etc. Type II affects young girls
primarily.
Symptoms of Hepatitis include:
*Yellowing of the skin and eyes (Jaundice)
*Fatigue
*Abdominal pain
*Loss of appetite
*Nausea
*Vomiting
*Diarrhea
*Low grade fever
*Headache
*Feeling as if you have flu.
*You might feel tired
*Stomach sickness
*Loss of appetite
*Dark yellow urine
*Lightly colored stools*Discomfort or tenderness on the right side
*Muscle and joint aches
*Itch
*Rash
*Spider blood vessels on the skin
*Ascites
*Mental Confusion
The liver is enlarged and tender
Your doctors makes a diagnosis based on your
history, exam, blood tests, and liver biopsy.
Liver enzymes are elevated, that means damage.
Antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies against smooth muscle cells (SMA), or liver
and kidney microsomes (anti-LKM) characterize autoimmune hepatitis.
Blood tests also help to exclude viral hepatitis and other diseases.
Liver biopsy takes a small piece of liver to examine with microscope.
Treatment includes medicines to suppress immune system.
Corticosteroids go form high doses to lower ones.
Azathioprine suppresses the immune system too.
Both prednisone and azathioprine bring serious side effects due to decreased immunity..
Other treatments include mycophenylate mofetil,
cyclosporine and tacrolimus. Those drugs are immune supressants too. Transplantation of liver is an ultimate option
American Liver Foundation
www.liverfoundation.org
On-Line self check.
www.RDoctor.com | | Author: | Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD | | System: | Liver | | Subject: | Hepatitis | | Abstract: | Normal immune system protects body from viruses,
bacteria, and parasites. Sometimes it gets wacked and
attacks own body. This leads to autoimmune diseases. | | Website: | http://www.kavokin.com | | Time: | 21:00 | | Reference: | http://www.rdoctor.com | | Reference 2: | http://www.symptomat.com |
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