Autoimmune hepatitis

in adults (AIH)

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a life-long and rare liver disease. It is when your body’s immune system causes damage to its own healthy liver cells. This leads to inflammation in the liver.

Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis involves very effective medicines that suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation. It also reduces the likelihood of your condition getting worse.

If left untreated it can lead to serious scarring of the liver (cirrhosis). This can then lead to liver cancer or liver failure.

It is not entirely clear what causes autoimmune hepatitis, and it is not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.

Early symptoms can include an overwhelming sense of tiredness (fatigue), feeling generally unwell, itching, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.

The information on this page is for:.

Adults with autoimmune hepatitis or suspected autoimmune hepatitis
Family, friends, carers, and healthcare professionals.

Find out about autoimmune liver disaese in children

Hepatitis is the medical term used to describe inflammation of the liver. There are lots of causes of hepatitis and some of them are more well-known than others.

Some people think autoimmune hepatitis is the same as other types of hepatitis, such alcohol related hepatitis orviral hepatitis. However, you cannot catch autoimmune hepatitis and it is not related to drinking alcohol.

You can find help and advice about dealing with stigma here.

Quick Summary

Around 4 out of 5 people who have autoimmune hepatitis are women.
A third to a half of people who are diagnosed have a personal or family history of other autoimmune conditions. These include thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis or type 1 diabetes.
About 1 in 3 people with autoimmune hepatitis will have cirrhosis when they’re diagnosed.

Find out more about autoimmune hepatitis using the links below.

Find out more

Causes

Symptoms

Tests and diagnosis

Treatment

Living with autoimmune hepatitis

Download the autoimmune hepatitis booklet

Support

How Liver UK can help

A diagnosis of liver disease can be worrying, and you may have a lot of questions.

We're here for you and for your family and friends. Whether you have questions or just need someone to listen, we can help.

Find out more

Your feedback

This content was last reviewed: June 2023

Our expert reviewers:

We would like to thank everyone who helped with creating and reviewing this page. Including Dr Vikki Gordon, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust and Sue Eldred, Wye Valley NHS Trust. Ann Brownlee, Chair of Trustees, AIH Support. And all our patient reviewers.

Find out how we make our patient information.

Everyone’s experience of liver disease will be different. Always talk to your specialist medical team for personal advice.