title: Involvement of the liver in rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Liver dysfunction is often observed in patients with rheumatic diseases. Underlying disease is the major cause of liver dysfunction associated with adult-onset Still's disease, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and vasculitis syndrome, whereas drug-induced liver injury is common in rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. These diseases may be accompanied by autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). PBC is particularly common in CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactylia, and telangiectasia) syndrome and Sjögren's syndrome. The recent widespread use of biological drugs such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors has raised concerns about reactivation of hepatitis B. Given the varying causes and degrees of liver dysfunction associated with rheumatic diseases, medical intervention should be undertaken with adequate understanding of the characteristics of each type of liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. h-ohira@fmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohira
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takahashi
keywords: Autoimmune liver disease; CREST syndrome; Rheumatoid arthritis; Systemic lupus erythematosus