Autoimmune Hepatitis

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Advancements in medicine and technology have allowed scientists to discover new diseases as well as treatments for some. Autoimmune hepatitis is among the diseases where a cure in unavailable. In 1950, Waldenström discovered autoimmune hepatitis in young women (Wolf). Originally called lupoid hepatitis, lupus was thought to be the cause of autoimmune hepatitis (Frey, Longe, and Ricker). If symptoms of AIH are detected early, treatment for better life quality can be accomplished with medication instead of transplantation.

The second largest organ in the human body is the liver. It weighs on an average of 3 pounds. It filters out harmful substances in blood and turns what we eat and drink into energy the body can use (American Liver Foundation).The liver is a vital organ in the human body, almost as import as the heart.

Autoimmune hepatitis is life threatening form of liver inflammation, in which the body’s immune system attacks liver cells causing scarring otherwise known as cirrhosis, liver failure, and if not caught in time transplantation (Mayo Clinic Staff). “Scientists don’t know why the body attacks itself in this way, although heredity and prior infections may play a role” (American Liver Foundation).Type 1 of AIH is the most classic case. It can occur at any age and is often developed very fast. Type 2 is less common and is mainly found in young women (American Liver Foundation).Type 3 occurs in adults between the ages of thirty to fifty (Frey, Longe, and Ricker). Type 1 is often accompanied by other autoimmune disorders. Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Graves disease, Sjogren syndrome, and inflammatory bowel syndrome are often also seen in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (PubMed Health). About 70 percent of p...

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...r, J. Ricker, MD. "Hepatitis, autoimmune." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Autoimmune Hepatitis” Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 1998-2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.

Nabili, Siamak T. “Liver Blood Tests” MedicineNet, Inc. Ed. William C. Shiel Jr. 1996-2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.

"Research from Canberra Hospital Yields New Findings on Autoimmune Hepatitis." Hepatitis Weekly 31 May 2010: 19. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.

Wolf, David C., and Unnithan V. Raghuraman. "Autoimmune Hepatitis." Medscape Reference. Ed. Julian Katz. WebMD LLC, 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.

Yeoman, A D, M S Longhi, and M A Heneghan. "Review Article: The Modern Management of Autoimmune Hepatitis." Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 31.8 (2010): 771-787. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.

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