Autoimmune hepatitis and its variant syndromes

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterised by female predominance, interface hepatitis, hypergammaglobulinaemia, and autoantibodies. 1 2 Typically, the disease responds well to corticosteroid therapy, and clinical, laboratory, and histological remission can be achieved in 65% of patients within 18 months. 3 4 Among Caucasoid Northern Europeans, its mean annual incidence is 1.9 per 100 000, and its point prevalence is 16.9 per 100 000. 5 In the USA, AIH aVects 100 000-200 000 individuals. 6 It accounts for 2.6% of the liver transplants in the European Liver Transplant Registry 7 and 5.9% of liver transplants in the USA. 8