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Spectrum of autoimmune liver diseases in western India
Author(s) -
Amarapurkar Deepak N,
Patel Nikhil D
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2007.05048.x
Subject(s) - medicine , autoimmune hepatitis , primary biliary cirrhosis , etiology , serology , primary sclerosing cholangitis , gastroenterology , overlap syndrome , hepatitis , immunology , disease , antibody
Background and Aim: The prevalence and spectrum of autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) in India are rarely reported in comparison to the West. Method: During a study period of 7 years, all patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs) were evaluated for the presence of AILDs on the basis of clinical, biochemical, imaging, serological, and histological characteristics. Results: Of a total of 1760 CLD patients (38.1% females), 102 patients (5.7%) had an AILD. A total of 75 (11.2%) female patients had an AILD. Among males, 27 (2.4%) had an AILD. The prevalence of AILDs in women increased from 11.2% to 45.7% and in men from 2.4% to 10.3%, after excluding alcohol, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus as a cause of CLD. Of the AILDs, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was present in 79 patients (77.4%), followed in descending order by primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in 10 patients (9.8%), PBC/AIH true overlap syndrome in six patients (5.8%), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in five patients (4.9%), and PBC/AIH switchover syndrome in two patients (1.9%). None had PSC/AIH or PBC/PSC overlap syndrome. Associated known autoimmune diseases were found in 40 (39.2%) patients. Conclusions: AILDs are not uncommon in India. They should be suspected in all cases of CLDs, especially in middle‐aged women who do not have problems with alcoholism and who are without viral etiology, as well as in all patients with known autoimmune diseases.