title: Current topics in autoimmune hepatitis.
abstract: Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic liver disease of unknown aetiology characterized by interface hepatitis, hypergammaglobulinaemia and circulating autoantibodies. In the last decade a number of advancements have been made in the field of clinical and basic research: the simplified diagnostic criteria, the complete response defined as normalization of transaminase levels, the molecular identification of the antigenic targets of anti-liver cytosol antibody type 1 and anti-soluble liver antigen, the detection of anti-actin antibodies, the description of de novo autoimmune hepatitis after liver transplantation for non-autoimmune liver diseases, the characterization of autoimmune hepatitis with overlapping features of primary biliary cirrhosis or primary sclerosing cholangitis, the preliminary experience with novel treatment strategies based on cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and budesonide, the role played by "impaired" regulatory T cells and the development of novel animal models of autoimmune hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Padiglione 11, Bologna, Italy. luigi.muratori@unibo.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muratori
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muratori
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granito
authors.forename: Giorgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cassani
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenzi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019819:Budesonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006942:Hypergammaglobulinemia; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D015415:Biomarkers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; C094307:anti-liver cytosolic protein 1; C046431:liver antigen LA-1; D019819:Budesonide; D016572:Cyclosporine; D000637:Transaminases; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid