Yoshida Osamu, Abe Masanori, Furukawa Shinya, Murata Yosuke, Hamada Maho, Hiasa Yoichi, Matsuura Bunzo, Akbar Fazle, Michitaka Kojiro, Onji Morikazu
Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, To-on.
Intern Med. 2009;48(5):315-9. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.48.1533. Epub 2009 Mar 2.
Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease, and both genetic background and environmental factors are related to its pathogenesis. Here, we report that out of five members of a family with similar human leukocyte antigen haplotypes, two developed autoimmune hepatitis, one was positive for antinuclear antibody, and the remaining two had no features of autoimmunity. The two patients with autoimmune hepatitis had a history of medication use, whereas the other family members did not. Our familial study suggests that in addition to genetic background, medication use and other environmental factors may be related to the onset of autoimmune hepatitis.
