What Is Autoimmune Hepatitis & Why Is It So Serious?

What Causes It?

As previously mentioned, autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body’s immune system targets the liver and fights healthy cells, rather than viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens like it is supposed to. This attack on the liver can lead to chronic inflammation and incredibly serious damage to the liver cells, which can lead to a whole host of problems for the patient. Unfortunately, why the body's immune system attacks healthy liver cells and ultimately turns against the liver is unclear. However, researchers believe autoimmune hepatitis can be caused by the interaction of genes that control the immune system's function and the body's exposure to specific medications or viruses, therefore resulting in a triggered response of the body attacking the liver.

Keep reading to find out the risk factors associated with autoimmune hepatitis and who is most at risk for developing this disease now.