engleski

Autoimmune liver disease: children vs. adults

There are three childhood liver disorders that are likely to be caused by autoimmune attack: autoimmune hepatitis, autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis and de novo autoimmune hepatitis after liver transplantation. Autoimmune liver disease in children share number of characteristic features (inflammatory liver histology, circulating nonorgan-specific antibodies, increased immunoglobulin G levels, unknown etiology and susceptibility to immunosuppresive treatment). The three main categories of “adult” autoimmune liver disease are autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis ; all are well-defined entities with diagnosis based upon a constellation of clinical, serologic, and liver pathology findings. Autoimmune hepatitis lack of an etiology ensures its differentiation from hereditary, virus- related and drug-induced conditions that resemble it. It is generally progressive, chronic hepatitis that occurs in children and adults of all ages. Particular issues regarding autoimmune hepatitis have to be considered in children. Compared with adults, children suffer more frequently from autoimmune hepattis type 2 ; differ in their genetic background ; and, possibly, differ in their response to treatment.

autoimmune liver disease; childhood; autoimmune hepatitis

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