Autoimmune hepatitis, like other liver diseases, develops silently and is caused by cells failing to recognize each other. There are various types of this disease, and it is crucial to detect and treat it in a timely manner. The course and characteristics of the disease may vary depending on the patient's condition.
How does autoimmune hepatitis manifest itself?
Autoimmune hepatitis develops silently like all liver diseases, and if the patient is treated before the first symptoms appear, the effectiveness of the treatment is much higher. The following points are noted regarding the symptoms and course of the disease:
- It develops silently like all liver diseases.
- If the patient is treated before the first symptoms appear, the treatment effectiveness is higher.
- If we do not treat the disease, mortality, i.e., the death rate, may increase after 5 years.
- If left untreated, this is a disease that leads to cirrhosis.
What does autoimmune hepatitis mean?
Autoimmune hepatitis means that neighboring cells do not get along with each other, meaning they do not accept each other. Patients get confused when they hear "autoimmune" and ask what kind of disease this is. The duty of us doctors is, so to speak, to restore the friendship and camaraderie between these cells. We observe these diseases in the thyroid gland, our kidneys, and at the same time in our liver.
What are the types of autoimmune hepatitis?
Autoimmune hepatitis comes in three types: type one, type two, and type three. Some of their characteristics differ, and each type has its own unique features. The main characteristics by disease types are as follows:
- Type one autoimmune hepatitis.
- Type two autoimmune hepatitis.
- Type three autoimmune hepatitis.
Who gets type one autoimmune hepatitis?
80% of type one autoimmune patients are women. Age difference does not matter here, because sometimes we can encounter this over the age of 40, sometimes at 35, and sometimes at 17, i.e., at younger ages. Of course, it makes no sense to look for autoimmune hepatitis over the age of 70. The characteristics associated with this type of disease are:
- 80% of patients are women.
- Age difference does not matter.
- Sometimes encountered over 40, at 35, or at 17 years of age.
- It makes no sense to look for autoimmune hepatitis over 70 years of age.
What is the characteristic of type three autoimmune hepatitis?
During type three, we observe dysfunction of the kidneys along with the liver. The main distinguishing feature of this type of autoimmune hepatitis is that it affects the function of other organs. The characteristic is as follows:
- Impairment of kidney function along with the liver is observed.