Background and aim: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a very heterogeneous disease with an impact on the morbidity and mortality of patients, which affects all ages, genders, and ethnic groups. It can present either asymptomatically, such as acute hepatitis, cirrhosis, or acute liver failure. Aim: To describe the demographic, biochemical and clinical characteristics of patients with HAI, due to the few epidemiological data that exists in Latin America.
Material and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted that included patients with HAI attended at the Northeast National Medical Center of the IMSS (Monterrey, Nuevo León). The information was collected from the digital file between March 01, 2019 to April 01, 2020.
Results: A total of 100 patients, 77% female, with an average age at diagnosis of 37 years were included (Graph 1). In the presentation form, 38% were cirrhotic at diagnosis, 2% debuted with acute liver failure, 16% with acute hepatitis, and 44% with asymptomatic abnormal liver tests. Regarding autoantibodies, 75% had positive antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) or smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA). 25% associated autoimmune extrahepatic diseases (Graph 2), and 46% fulfilled criteria for Overlap Syndrome, mostly primary biliary cholangitis (CBP). Regarding treatment, 40% were considered refractory to conventional therapy, meriting the use of other immunosuppressors (mycophenolic acid and tacrolimus). Of the total of patients, 32% had received Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (THO).
Conclusions: Autoimmune hepatitis in our population behaves similarly to that described in the world literature, with a greater association to overlap syndrome and refractory treatment, perhaps because it is a reference center.
Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
