ISSN:
1365-2036
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Background : The usual onset of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis occurs at puberty or around menopause, whereas disease presentation in the advanced age is less often reported.Aim : To assess the clinical, immunological and histological features of Type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in elderly Italian patients.Methods : We assessed, at diagnosis, the clinical and immunological features of 76 consecutive Italian patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis, focusing particularly on a subgroup of 20 patients presenting at ≥65 years (females 95%, median age 72 years, range 65–82).Results : In comparison with the younger group, at the time of autoimmune hepatitis diagnosis, elderly Italian patients are more often asymptomatic (25% vs. 7%; P = 0.04), are more frequently positive for antinuclear autoantibodies (95% vs. 52%; P = 0.0004) and HLA-DR4 (45% vs. 18%; P = 0.03); among the extra-hepatic manifestations, autoimmune thyroid disorders are prevalent in the elderly group (25% vs. 5%; P = 0.02). However, no difference was observed in the histological/biochemical expression of the liver disease and response to immunosuppression.Conclusions : In elderly Italian patients, autoimmune hepatitis has typical serological and genetic characteristics, is more frequently asymptomatic, although prognosis and response to therapy is similar to that of younger patients. As a concomitant autoimmune thyroid disorder is common, autoimmune hepatitis should be suspected and investigated in elderly patients with autoimmune thyroid disorder and abnormal liver function tests.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2005.02488.x
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