Autoimmune Hepatitis
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Definition & Facts
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic disease in which your body’s immune system attacks the liver and causes inflammation and liver damage. Without treatment, autoimmune hepatitis may get worse and lead to complications, such as cirrhosis.

Symptoms & Causes
Common symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis include feeling tired, pain in your joints, nausea, poor appetite, pain over your liver, and jaundice. Some people have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis, but they may develop symptoms later. Experts aren’t sure what causes autoimmune hepatitis.
Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose autoimmune hepatitis based on your medical history, a physical exam, blood tests, imaging tests, and liver biopsy. Blood tests can show signs of autoimmune hepatitis or other liver diseases. A doctor can use a liver biopsy to look for the features of autoimmune hepatitis and to check for cirrhosis.
Treatment
Doctors treat autoimmune hepatitis with medicines that suppress your immune system, most often corticosteroids—prednisone or prednisolone—with or without azathioprine. These medicines may cause side effects. If autoimmune hepatitis leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant.
Eating, Diet, & Nutrition
If autoimmune hepatitis leads to cirrhosis, you should eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in causing or preventing autoimmune hepatitis.
Clinical Trials
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.
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Related Research
See more about liver diseases research at NIDDK.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
The NIDDK would like to thank John Moore Vierling, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine