title: Autoimmune liver disease and concomitant extrahepatic autoimmune disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the frequency and clinical impact of associated extrahepatic autoimmune diseases (EAD) on autoimmune liver diseases (ALD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 608 patients with ALD (327 autoimmune hepatitis - AIH and 281 primary biliary cirrhosis - PBC) for concomitant EAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both AIH and PBC, we observed a high prevalence of EAD (29.9 and 42.3%, respectively); both diseases showed a significant association with autoimmune thyroid disease, followed by autoimmune skin disease, celiac disease, and vasculitis in AIH patients and sicca syndrome, CREST syndrome, and celiac disease in PBC patients. At diagnosis, AIH patients with concurrent EAD were more often asymptomatic than patients with isolated AIH (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirms the strict association between ALD and EAD, in particular with autoimmune thyroid disease. In the light of our results, all patients with an EAD should be assessed for the concomitant presence of an asymptomatic ALD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Center for the Study and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases of the Liver and Biliary System, Policlinico di Sant'Orsola, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muratori
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lalanne
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muratori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies