What is an autoimmune liver disease?
Autoimmune disease of the liver, more often known as autoimmune hepatitis, is a health condition where the body's own immune system abnormally attacks the cells in the liver. The immune system is usually the main defense of the body against foreign agents entering the body. This abnormal attack of the immune system on its own liver cells causes inflammation that can later proceed to extensive liver damage, liver cancer and liver failure. The disease can start at any time, without a specific predisposition to ethnicity and age group. But it is more common in women than in men.
Most autoimmune disorders, such as autoimmune disease of the liver, cause the body to produce autoantibodies or cells that attack their own tissues and cells of the body, often leading to inflammation, and eventually organ damage. The cause of this mechanism is still unknown, but inherited genetic predispositions often play a role in the development of many autoimmune diseases. Some drugs, bacteria or viruses can also cause internalchanges in the body's immune system, causing it to attack each other.
During the early phase of autoimmune liver disease, the patient may not have any complaints. However, the most common symptom of the autoimmune disease of the liver that some patients feel is easy fatigue. Painful joints, stomach pain, the presence of rash and changes in urine and stool color are also recorded. As the disease progresses and the effects on the liver are more severe, the patient may appear jaundice, which is yellowish color of eyes and skin. It can also experience weight loss, mental confusion and ascity, which is the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.
The diagnosis of autoimmune diseases of the liver is allowed to use the liver autoimmune panel. In general, there are a number of tests that are reflected in the presence of antibodies that are cells produced by the immune system. Examples of these antibodies in which doctors test the antiAntibodies, anti-antibodies, anti-antibodies and anti-mitochondrial antibodies. The corresponding amount of blood is obtained from the vein using the needle on the syringe and the sample is sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Patients with autoimmune liver disease are usually treated with liver specialists. Patients can benefit from taking immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone. These are medicines used to suppress the function of the immune system, thus preventing further attacks on the weakened liver. People who use these drugs are usually recommended to pay attention to their side effects, including the development of eye problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain and osteoporosis, which is weakening of bones. In patients who do not respond to prednisone therapy and ultimately, the liver failure may be considered necessary.