Autoimmune Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is chronic liver inflammation that's caused by the body's malfunctioning immune system. The same important process that identifies harmful invading bacteria and viruses and protects your body from them somehow becomes altered to attack and damage your liver cells. Why this begins isn't completely understood, but the leading theory is that it's triggered by some drug or infection in people who have inherited a trait that makes them more likely to develop an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune hepatitis, if untreated, can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Who's at Risk for Autoimmune Hepatitis?

About 70 percent of people with the disease are women, usually between the ages of 15 and 40. However, autoimmune hepatitis is an uncommon disease.