Distinctive clinical phenotype and treatment outcome of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in the elderly.
Autoimmune hepatitis is classically a disease of young women. Our aims were to determine its occurrence, clinical phenotype, and outcome in elderly patients and contrast findings to young adults. Two-hundred-and-five white North American adults with definite type 1 autoimmune hepatitis were grouped according to age at presentation and the groups compared. Forty-seven patients (23%) were aged > or = 60 years (median age, 68 years), and 31 patients (15%) were aged < or = 30 years (median age, 25 years). The patients > or = 60 years had a higher frequency of cirrhosis at presentation than the patients < or = 30 years (33% versus 10%, P = .03). They also had thyroid or rheumatic diseases more commonly (42% vs. 13%, P = .006). HLA DR3 occurred more frequently in the patients < or = 30 years than in those > or = 60 years (58% vs. 23%, P = .004), and HLA DR4 occurred more often in the patients > or = 60 years (47% vs. 13%, P = .003). Patients aged > or = 60 years failed corticosteroid treatment less commonly than those aged < or = 30 years (5% vs. 24%, P = .03). Autoimmune hepatitis occurred in patients aged 18-30 years (15%), 31-39 years (15%), 40-49 years (21%), 50-59 years (25%), and > or = 60 years (23%). Differences in age distribution, HLA frequencies, and treatment outcome occurred after age > or = 40 years. In conclusion, elderly patients have a greater frequency of cirrhosis at presentation and HLA DR4 than patients < or = 30 years, and they have a lower occurrence of treatment failure. Transitions in clinical and genetic phenotypes occur after age > or = 40 years. Genetic susceptibilities may favor etiologic factors that are age-related.
Czaja
Albert J
AJ
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. czaja.albert@mayo.edu
Carpenter
Herschel A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen / Q000235:genetics*; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People
D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D015804:HLA-DR4 Antigen