[Hepatology and immunology].

Immunologic diseases of the liver are exogenous mostly initiated by virus or endogenous initiated by autoaggression. All virus-induced kinds of hepatitis are due to an immune response against inocculated hepatocytes. Therefore the hepatitis is limited to the period of complete elimination of virus-infected cells. A strong immune response therefore corresponds with an acute and short hepatitis whilest a weak immune response develops a chronic hepatitis. In contrast, autoimmune hepatitis based on a disorder of the immune system with some genetic background is always unlimited. Each cirrhosis developing from immunologic hepatitis is also an immunologic disease; a special variant is the autoimmune primary biliary cirrhosis. All in all, the number of immunologic liver diseases surmounts the remaining liver diseases due to intoxication of metabolic disorders.