Gastroenterology
Volume 139, Issue 1 , Pages 58-72.e4, July 2010

Advances in the Diagnosis, Pathogenesis, and Management of Autoimmune Hepatitis

  • Albert J. Czaja

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Albert J. Czaja, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, Minnesota 55905. fax: (507) 284-0538
    • ,
  • Michael P. Manns

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Endocrinology, Medical School of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

Received 27 March 2010; accepted 30 April 2010. published online 07 May 2010.

John P. Lynch and David C. Metz, Section Editors

Article Outline

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the liver, interface hepatitis (based on histologic examination), hypergammaglobulinemia, and production of autoantibodies. Many clinical and basic science studies have provided important insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of AIH. Transgenic mice that express human antigens and develop autoantibodies, liver-infiltrating CD4+ T cells, liver inflammation, and fibrosis have been developed as models of AIH. AIH has been associated with autoantibodies against members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes, transfer RNA selenocysteine synthase, formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase, and the uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases, whereas alleles such as DRB1*0301 and DRB1*0401 are genetic risk factors in white North American and northern European populations. Deficiencies in the number and function of CD4+CD25+ (regulatory) T cells disrupt immune homeostasis and might be corrected as a therapeutic strategy. Treatment can be improved by continuing corticosteroid therapy until normal liver test results and normal liver tissue are within normal limits, instituting ancillary therapies to prevent drug-related side effects, identifying problematic patients early, and providing long-term maintenance therapy after patients experience a first relapse. Calcineurin inhibitors and mycophenolate mofetil are potential salvage therapies, and reagents such as recombinant interleukin-10, abatacept, and CD3-specific antibodies are feasible as therapeutics. Liver transplantation is an effective salvage therapy, even in the elderly, and AIH must be considered in all patients with graft dysfunction after liver transplantation. Identification of the key defects in immune homeostasis and antigen targets will direct new therapies.

Keywords: Phenotypic Diversity, Current and Future Therapies, Pathogenic Mechanisms

Abbreviations used in this paper: AIH, autoimmune hepatitis, AIRE, autoimmune regulator, ALT, alanine aminotransferase, ANA, antinuclear antibodies, anti-LC1, antibodies to liver cytosol type 1, anti-LKM, antibodies to liver-kidney microsome, anti-SLA, antibodies to soluble liver antigen, APECED, autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy, AST, aspartate aminotransferase, CTLA, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, IL, interleukin, MHC, major histocompatibility complex, NKT cell, natural killer T cell, SMA, smooth muscle antibodies, TNF, tumor necrosis factor, Treg cell, regulatory T cell, UGT, uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases.

 

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the liver, interface hepatitis (based on histologic examination), hypergammaglobulinemia, and production of autoantibodies.1, 2 It results from the development of an immune response against normal self-antigens (or foreign antigens that resemble self-antigens) that disrupts the immune regulatory network.3 The salient features of AIH are not disease specific, so other conditions that resemble it must be excluded before it can be accurately diagnosed.3 Because AIH has no distinct etiologic agent or diagnostic feature, codified diagnostic criteria and characteristic disease markers are needed.4, 5, 6 Patients with AIH usually receive corticosteroid therapy, which is not always effective. Nine percent of patients deteriorate despite compliance and 50% to 86% experience a relapse after withdrawal of corticosteroid therapy. Side effects cause premature discontinuation of therapy in 13%, and 9% have only incomplete improvement despite continuous treatment. More specific, durable, and safe therapies for AIH need to be developed.7 Here we review recent advances in our understanding of the clinical and basic features of AIH and define important areas for future research and clinical development.

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Diagnosis 

AIH has diverse presentations, and it is important to diagnose it during the early stages of disease.4, 5 The main early symptoms are fatigue and arthralgia,3 but 25% to 34% of patients are asymptomatic at diagnosis.8, 9 Acute severe (fulminant) AIH is characterized by newly developed, severe inflammation in the liver,10, 11, 12, 13 a spontaneous exacerbation of a previously unsuspected chronic disease,14 or necrosis in centrilobular zone 3.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Centrilobular zone 3 necrosis can transition to interface hepatitis as the disease evolves.16 It is important to be aware of the acute severe presentation of AIH so that patients can immediately be given corticosteroid therapy.11, 21, 22, 23

An asymptomatic or mild form of the disease also exists that can be identified on laboratory and histologic test results.8, 9 Typically these patients are men, and they have abnormal serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, increased serum γ-globulin concentrations, and histologic findings of mild interface hepatitis or cirrhosis with mild inflammation.8 These patients commonly become symptomatic (26%–70% occurrence), and they require treatment.8, 9 It is important to identify and treat AIH at its earliest stages, because 49% of untreated patients with mild disease progress to cirrhosis within 15 years.24, 25 Furthermore, untreated patients improve less frequently than treated patients (12% vs 63%),26 improve more slowly,26 and have a lower 10-year survival rate (67% vs 98%).26 It is especially important to treat and monitor AIH, even in mild forms, in children27 and the elderly.28

AIH is typically diagnosed by demonstrating the presence of smooth muscle antibodies (SMA), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), or antibodies to liver-kidney microsome (anti-LKM) type 1 in patients in whom other diagnoses have been excluded.3 SMA and ANA characterize most patients with AIH in North America and northern Europe,29 whereas anti-LKM1 are found mainly in European children.30 SMA and ANA have been used to define type 1 AIH, and anti-LKM1 have been used to define type 2 AIH.31 These distinctions have been justified because SMA and ANA typically do not occur with anti-LKM1 (4% concurrence of all antibodies).29 Some patients with all the features of AIH may lack these typical antibodies, and they may be misclassified as having cryptogenic chronic hepatitis.32, 33, 34, 35 Autoantibody-negative AIH is important to recognize because these patients can respond well to corticosteroid therapy. Testing for nonstandard autoantibodies may be useful in their diagnosis.32, 34, 35 The presence of atypical perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies,36 antibodies to soluble liver antigen (anti-SLA),37, 38 and antibodies to liver cytosol type 1 (anti-LC1)39 may allow confident reclassification of some patients as having AIH. Other patients may still escape serologic detection but qualify for the diagnosis because of other clinical, laboratory, and histologic findings.32, 34, 35

Histologic Features 

The histologic hallmark of AIH is interface hepatitis,1 but the histologic spectrum has expanded to include acute stages of the disease (centrilobular zone 3 necrosis), which may transition to interface hepatitis,16 and coincidental changes (bile duct injury or loss), which are typically transient and not expressed as a cholestatic phenotype.40, 41 Histologic manifestations of coincidental bile duct injury are lymphocytic, pleomorphic, and destructive cholangitis.40, 41, 42 Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and magnetic resonance cholangiography may be necessary to identify biliary changes associated with AIH,43, 44 especially in patients with concurrent inflammatory bowel disease or failure to respond to corticosteroid treatment.45, 46, 47 The histologic features can overlap with those of primary sclerosing cholangitis48, 49, 50 or primary biliary cirrhosis.51, 52, 53

Diverse Ethnic Phenotypes at Presentation 

The features of AIH vary among ethnic groups. Cirrhosis occurs in as many as 85% of black North American patients.54 The presentation is mild in Japanese patients55 but severe in South American children.56, 57 It is acute and icteric in Alaskan native patients,58 cholestatic in Aborginal North American,59, 60 African, Asian, and Arab patients,61 and rapidly progressive in Somalian patients.62 These differences are likely to arise from variations in etiologic agents and genetic factors that affect immune responses and inflammatory reactions.63, 64, 65 Phenotypic variations among different ethnic groups might also arise from disparities in socioeconomic status, health preferences, health care access, quality standards, physician trust, patient preferences, and referral rates.66, 67, 68 They emphasize the importance of maintaining flexible diagnostic criteria when assessing nonwhite populations. Clinical studies are necessary to distinguish the biological, cultural, and socioeconomic differences in disease occurrence, clinical manifestations, and behavior.68

Diagnostic Scoring Systems 

An international panel has established criteria for the diagnosis of AIH.1 Two diagnostic scoring systems (a comprehensive system and a simplified system) have been developed by the International AIH Group that can aid in the diagnosis of difficult cases. The comprehensive scoring system grades every clinical, laboratory, and histologic feature of AIH, including response to corticosteroid therapy.1 It is useful in assessing patients with few or atypical features of the disease.69 The simplified scoring system is easier to use in the clinic and assesses only 4 factors: the nature and level of autoantibody production (based on assays of indirect immunofluorescence), serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G concentration, the presence of typical or compatible histologic features, and the absence of viral markers.70 The simplified scoring system detects fewer cases of AIH than the original system (lower sensitivity, 95% vs 100%), but it has higher specificity (90% vs 73%) and accuracy (92% vs 82%).71, 72 It does not grade response to corticosteroid therapy.72 The simplified scoring system is useful in excluding AIH in patients with other conditions and concurrent immune features.71, 73 Prospective evaluations of each scoring system are necessary to contrast and validate their performance parameters.72, 74 Original studies used composite data from multiple centers and not all contributions included testing for all antibodies, such as anti-SLA. Future prospective studies must use a standard battery of serologic tests that are globally available and can be applied uniformly to all patients with and without AIH.

Emerging Ancillary Serologic Markers 

The conventional serologic markers of AIH (SMA, ANA, and anti-LKM1) are used for diagnosis.75, 76 Other antibodies have been characterized that have prognostic connotations, and they have an emerging ancillary function (Table 1).77 Anti-SLA (directed against a transfer ribonucleoprotein complex)78, 79 are highly specific markers of AIH.80, 81, 82, 83 They are detected in 99% of patients with AIH,37 and they are associated with the HLA allele DRB1*03.84, 85, 86 In Japan, where the HLA allele DRB1*03 is unusual,87, 88 the frequency of anti-SLA is only 7%.37, 89 In white North American patients, these markers are detected in 15% of patients.37 Anti-SLA can be used to identify individuals who have more severe histologic changes, require longer durations of treatment, will experience a relapse after drug withdrawal, and will have a higher frequency of liver transplantation or death from liver failure.84, 85, 86 Anti-SLA are also present in 20% to 26% of patients with chronic hepatitis of undetermined cause, so they might be used to reclassify cryptogenic chronic hepatitis as AIH.37, 38 The International AIH Group and the Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases have not come into agreement about whether anti-SLA characterize a distinct subgroup of AIH.1, 2

Table 1. Diagnostic and Prognostic Serologic Markers
AutoantibodiesAntigen(s)Principal features
ANADiverse nuclear proteins301Conventional diagnostic marker of type 1 AIH75
Anti-SLAtRNP(Ser)Sec80High specificity37
Predictor of relapse and severity84, 85
Present in 20%–26% of cases of cryptogenic hepatitis37, 38
Associated with HLA-DRB1*0384, 86
Anti-actinPolymerized F-actin92, 96Assay-dependent correlations93, 94
Associated with early age of onset and poorer outcome than ANA in some assays94
Could define a subset of patients with SMA and poor prognosis94
Anti–α-actininComponent of actin
associated with anti-ssDNA98, 99		“Double reactivities” of anti–α-actinin with anti-actin or anti-ssDNA associated with severe clinical and histologic disease98, 99
Anti-LC1Formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase101, 102Detection of anti-LKM1104, 105, 109
Fluctuates with disease activity106
Associated with early age of onset, concurrent immune diseases, rapid progression to cirrhosis104, 105
Rare in the United States111
Antigen has been used to develop models of disease132
Anti-LKM1CYP2D6135Diagnostic marker of type 2 AIH30
Anti-LKM3UGTPresent in 8% of patients with type 2 AIH114 and 6% with chronic hepatitis D112, 113, 114
Might be the only marker detected114
Rare in fulminant hepatitis (unpublished data)
SMAActin and nonactin components (vimentin, skeletin)90Conventional diagnostic marker of type 1 AIH75

Antibodies to actin are found in a subset of patients that also produce SMA and are characterized by their reactivity against F-actin in laboratory tests (Table 1).90, 91, 92 Antibodies to actin could be used to diagnose AIH with specificity and have more prognostic value than SMA, depending on the assay.93 Patients found to have antibodies against actin in at least 2 different assays typically have an earlier age of disease onset and poorer response to corticosteroid therapy than patients without these antibodies.94 They also die of liver failure or require liver transplantation more frequently than patients with ANA (19% vs 0%; P = .03). Studies based on enzyme immunoassays or other assay combinations have different results.95, 96, 97 Combined reactivity against actin and α-actinin, a component of the actin molecule, identifies patients with severe clinical and histologic disease compared with patients without these antibodies (Table 1).98 Antibodies to α-actinin are associated with antibodies to single-stranded DNA, and this double reactivity correlates with clinical and histologic activity.99 An actin-myosin functional assay in which actin activates meromyosin adenosine triphosphatase activity in skeletal muscle may provide insights into pathogenic mechanisms and emerge as a prognostic index.100

Anti-LC1 (directed against a cytosolic formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase)101, 102, 103 are detected in 32% of individuals with AIH who also have anti-LKM1 (Table 1).104, 105 Anti-LC1 is detected mainly in children and young adults (20 years of age or younger), and they have been associated with concurrent immune diseases and liver inflammation that is severe and rapidly progressive to cirrhosis.104, 105 In contrast to anti-LKM1, anti-LC1 titers fluctuate with disease activity, liver inflammation, and disease severity.106 Anti-LC1 have been the only serologic markers of AIH in children with acute, acute severe, and chronic hepatitis and might be used to diagnose AIH in a corticosteroid-responsive subgroup that lacks conventional markers.39, 107 Anti-LC1 are frequently detected along with SMA and ANA in patients with AIH108 or chronic hepatitis C.109, 110 Like anti-LKM1, anti-LC1 are rare in white North American adult patients with AIH.111

Antibodies to uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) are detected in 8% of patients with AIH and 6% of patients with chronic hepatitis D (Table 1).112, 113, 114 These antibodies stain microsomes in mouse liver and proximal renal tubules, and they have been designated as anti-LKM3.115 Anti-LKM3 are usually detected along with anti-LKM1 in samples from patients with AIH, but anti-LKM3 might be the only diagnostic marker of AIH,114 especially during its fulminant presentation (Strassburg and Manns, personal communication, April, 2010). Anti-LKM3 bind exons 2 to 5 of the UGT proteins.116 Whereas exon 1 is unique to each individual family 1 UGT member, exons 2 to 5 are identical among all family 1 UGTs. Antibodies to LKM3 therefore react with all family 1 UGT. Anti-LKM3 has limited diagnostic value because it is not frequently detected in patients with AIH. Its detection indicates immune reactivity to an important superfamily of drug-metabolizing enzymes whose members have a high degree of heterogeneity.116, 117, 118

Genetic Associations 

The phenotype of AIH has been associated with specific alleles of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).119, 120 Among white North American and northern European individuals, AIH has been associated with DRB1*0301 and DRB1*0401.119, 120, 121, 122 Patients with AIH and DRB1*0301 are younger than patients with DRB1*0401; they also more frequently die of liver failure or require liver transplantation and have a significantly greater frequency of an adverse treatment outcome than patients with DRB1*0401.123, 124 Patients with DRB1*04 are more commonly women, and they frequently have multiple concurrent immune diseases.123, 124 DRB1*07 has been associated with the production of anti-LKM1,125, 126 and DRB1*1301 has been associated with severe disease mainly in South American children.57, 127, 128

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Pathogenesis 

Mouse models of AIH have provided important information about the pathogenesis of AIH.129, 130, 131 Some models that have features of human disease were developed by immunization of female mice with cytomegalovirus vectors that express the antigenic region of human CYP2D6 and human formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase132, 133 and others by infection of mice with an adenovirus that expresses human CYP2D6.134 These models produce autoantibodies that have been associated with AIH, develop liver-infiltrating CD4+ T cells, undergo histologic changes, and progress to hepatic fibrosis.134

Autoantigens 

The autoantigens associated with AIH include various cytoplasmic enzymes (Table 2). The autoantigen of type 2 AIH is the cytochrome monooxygenase CYP2D6, and it has homologies with hepatitis C virus,135 cytomegalovirus,136 and herpes simplex virus type 1.135 Homologies between human CYP2D6 and viral proteins might underlie the pathogenesis of AIH in some patients whose immune system recognizes viral antigen as self-antigen (molecular mimicry). Repeated exposures to the same or similar viral proteins might thereby break self-tolerance.134, 137, 138

Table 2. Advances in the Understanding of Pathogenic Mechanisms
AdvanceNaturePrincipal features
Characterization of target antigensCytochrome 2D6135, 302, 303 tRNP(Ser)Sec 80
Formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase101, 102
UGT117, 118
Cytochrome 1A2141, 142		Target antigens for anti-LKM1, SLA, LC1, LKM3 dihydralazine-induced hepatitis, and APECED80, 103, 118, 135, 141, 142, 304
Clarification of molecular mimicryHomologous amino acid sequences between genomes of hepatitis C virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex type 1 viruses and cytochrome 2D6, hepatitis C virus, and SMA and ANA135, 145Cross-reacting autoantibodies135
Concurrent immune diseases138, 145, 149
Identification of genetic risk factors inside the MHCDRB1*0301, DRB1*0401
(North America, northern Europe)120
DRB1*0404, DRB1*0405 (Mexico, Japan, China)87, 88, 305, 306
DRB1*1301 (South America)127, 128, 307
DRB1*07, DQB1*0201(type 2 AIH)125, 126, 150, 308		Influence susceptibility, phenotype, and severity in different ethnic groups65
Identification of genetic risk factors outside the MHCCTLA-4 gene polymorphism153, 154
TNFA*2 gene polymorphism161
TNFRSF6 gene polymorphism162, 163
Tyrosine phosphatase CD45 mutation167, 168
Vitamin D receptor polymorphism165, 166		Not disease specific; affect clinical phenotype; ethnic variablity157, 158
Recognition of deficiencies in cellular regulatorsRegulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells170, 171, 172
NKT cells178		Deficient number and function impair suppression of CD8+ T cells170

Many other substrates are recognized by autoantibodies associated with AIH. The transfer ribonucleoprotein complex tRNP(Ser)Sec, renamed SEPSECS (Sep [O-phosphoserine] tRNA:Sec [selenocysteine] tRNA synthase), is recognized by anti-SLA,80 formiminotransferase cyclodeaminase is recognized by anti-LC1,101, 102, 103 and UGT are recognized by anti-LKM3.118 Antibodies to liver microsomes primarily bind to cytochrome CYP1A2, and they are associated with the autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) syndrome and the presence of AIH.139, 140, 141

Antibodies to CYP1A2 were first described in patients with AIH induced by dihydralazine142 and with AIH that later was recognized as the APECED syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by a point mutation in a transcription factor expressed in dendritic and medullary epithelial cells of the thymus.143 CYP1A2, which is only expressed in the liver, appears to be an autoantigen in at least 2 different types of liver disease. In the drug-induced liver disease, CYP1A2 might have become antigenic by binding a metabolite of dihydralazine; in APECED, CYP1A2 might have become antigenic through the disrupted function of the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and the escape of autoreactive lymphocytes into the peripheral circulation.

AIRE-null mice have been developed as a model of APECED. In these mice, CYP1A2 messenger RNA expression in medullary thymic epithelial cells is reduced by more than 3 log compared with control animals (Jaeckel, personal communication, April, 2010). The lack of expression of self-antigens in the medullary thymic epithelial cells might disrupt the negative selection process during T-cell development in the thymus. This would lead to autoreactive T cells in the periphery and autoimmune disease. Further studies into the function of the AIRE product might provide important information about the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and AIH in particular.

Molecular Mimicry 

In molecular mimicry, multiple antigens with the same or similar epitopes can activate CD4+ T cells because of incomplete specificity of T-cell antigen receptors (Table 2).144, 145, 146 This activation leads to expansion of liver-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells that can cause liver injury and antigen-sensitized plasma cells that produce autoantibodies. Humoral cross-reactivity (cross-reacting antibodies) has been described in autoimmune conditions,138 but cellular cross-reactivity (cross-reacting lymphocytes) has been difficult to demonstrate.147, 148

Because of molecular mimicry, different environmental agents, drugs, and viruses might produce AIH. Molecular mimicry might also underlie the development of recurrent or de novo AIH after liver transplantation149 and cause multiple autoimmune diseases to occur in the same patient.149 Cross-reactivity has been shown between hepatitis C virus antigens and host-derived smooth muscle and nuclear antigens,145 and HLA B51 has been associated with cross-reactive immune responses between viral and microsomal antigens.146 Molecular mimicry is a concept that is key to the pathogenesis of AIH and has contributed to the development of animal models of the human disease.132, 133, 134

Genetic Factors 

The MHC controls the presentation of antigens to the immune system and thereby immune activation. DRβ is a polypeptide chain of the class II MHC molecules, which present antigen to CD4+ T lymphocytes. The DRB alleles DRB1*0301, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0404, and DRB1*0405 encode the same or similar 6 amino acid sequences (LLEQKR or LLEQRR) at positions 67 to 72 in the antigen-binding groove, and these are the alleles that affect susceptibility to type 1 AIH.120, 121 Similarly, DRB1*0701 is also believed to affect the antigen-binding groove and promote presentation of antigens that induce type 2 AIH.150, 151 DQB1*0201 is in strong linkage disequilibrium with DRB1*07 and DRB1*03, so it may be the principal genetic determinant of anti-LKM1–associated AIH.150 DRB1*1301, the principal susceptibility allele in South America, is associated with protracted infection with hepatitis A virus.152 This allele might allow individuals (especially children, who are frequently infected with hepatitis A virus infection in this region) to develop AIH as a consequence of protracted exposure to viral and liver antigens.

Various polymorphisms or point mutations in genes outside the MHC region probably contribute to AIH phenotypes (Table 2). In white North American and northern European patients, a polymorphism of the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) gene is associated with increased incidence of AIH;153, 154 the same polymorphism has been found in patients from this population with primary biliary cirrhosis.155, 156 The absence of this association in South American157 and Japanese158 patients reveals the challenge to extending observations from one ethnic group to another. A polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor α (TNFA*2) is associated with highly inducible and constitutive levels of TNF-α in serum159 and occurs mainly in young white patients with AIH who respond less well to corticosteroid therapy than patients without the polymorphism.160, 161

Other polymorphisms in immune modulators associated with AIH are in Fas: tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) at position −670 (TNFRSF6);162, 163 interleukin (IL)-2, -4, and -6164; and vitamin D receptor (VDR).165, 166 A point mutation in tyrosine phosphatase CD45 has also been associated with AIH.167, 168 The number of these genetic modulators will increase as analyses of the human genome continue using microarray technology and genome-wide DNA microsatellite techniques.169

Alterations in Immunocyte Populations 

Regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+ Treg cells) modulate CD8+ T-cell proliferation by suppressing production of interferon gamma and increasing secretion of IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor β (Table 2).170, 171 There is a subpopulation of Treg cells that lacks CD127; these CD4+CD25+CD127− cells might have greater regulatory activity than CD4+CD25+ Treg cells. The number and functions of Treg cells are decreased in AIH.172 These deficiencies might arise from genetic factors, because the siblings and children of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have deficient Treg cell functions.173 Treg cells can be expanded or freshly generated in culture, and deficiencies in their number and function might be corrected by the adoptive transfer of new cells.174

Natural killer T (NKT) cells regulate the immune response; their activities might also be deficient in patients with AIH. They are present in normal liver and regulate cytokine levels by inducing apoptosis of altered hepatocytes.175 NKT cells are constitutively cytotoxic—they contain granzymes and perforin that can induce apoptosis—but they can also have anti-inflammatory and immune suppressive actions by producing cytokines such as IL-4. NKT cells have counterbalancing inhibitory and stimulatory receptors, and their activities depend on intrinsic factors that control signaling through specific receptors.176 The purinergic receptor (P2X7) on NKT cells responds to purine-based danger signals and can inhibit or stimulate NKT cell activity, depending on whether the danger signal is received by naive or activated NKT cells.177 Furthermore, NKT cells regulate differentiation of Treg cells,178 another mechanism by which they might affect immune reactivity. Although patients with AIH have fewer intrahepatic NKT cells than patients with primary biliary cirrhosis,179 animals that are deficient in NKT cells do not develop experimental immune-mediated liver disease.180 The multiplicity of NKT cell functions and the diversity of conditions that affect their activities suggest that they have a role in the pathogenesis of AIH.7

Plasma cells that stain positive for IgG4 were detected in 35% of liver tissue specimens from patients with AIH.181 These patients also had higher serum levels of IgG than patients without the hepatic infiltrate and faster and more durable responses to corticosteroid therapy. Patients with AIH cannot, however, be distinguished by serum IgG4 levels (which tend to be normal) and can be identified only by staining plasma cells for IgG4 in liver tissue.181 IgG4 binds complement with low affinity and is not believed to promote the pathogenesis of hepatocyte injury.182 Nevertheless, it might be worthwhile to investigate the type 2 cytokine pathway of immunocyte differentiation in the development of AIH.181, 183

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Therapy 

Corticosteroid therapy is effective for all forms of AIH.2, 184 Prednisone (or prednisolone) alone or a lower dose in combination with azathioprine ameliorates symptoms and improves the laboratory and histologic manifestations of liver inflammation in most patients.185, 186, 187 It also improves or prevents hepatic fibrosis188 and increases the 20-year life expectancy to 80%.189 Outcomes for current therapy can be improved by early recognition and treatment of the disease, continuation of therapy until complete resolution of inflammatory activity, institution of ancillary regimens to prevent complications of the medication, and early identification and treatment of problematic patients.47 The major determinant of prognosis is the response to corticosteroid therapy, and treatment that is delayed or deferred can result in rapid progression to cirrhosis and liver failure.23

Early Recognition and Treatment 

Awareness of the diverse manifestations of AIH and the histologic spectrum of the disease at presentation is the key to early diagnosis and therapy.190 Phenotypic differences among different ethnic groups must be accommodated,4, 6 and the application of the comprehensive and simplified diagnostic scoring systems of the International AIH Group can be useful in supporting the clinical diagnosis.71

Treatment Until Complete Resolution 

Treatment until normal liver test results (serum aspartate aminotransferase, ALT, bilirubin, and γ-globulin levels) and normal liver tissue reduces the frequency of relapse after drug withdrawal from 86% to 60%191 and in some instances to as low as 20%.192 Treatment to an ideal end point, however, is achievable in only 40% of patients, and these patients can still experience a relapse.191 It is important to individualize treatment to each patient, based on the rapidity of the response and tolerance of the medications. A rapid treatment response is optimal; responses within 12 months are associated with a significantly lower frequency of progression to cirrhosis (18% vs 54%) and requirement for liver transplantation compared with long-term therapy (2% vs 15%).193 Seventy-seven percent of patients who respond do so within 24 months, and many patients have normal serum ALT levels within 3 to 6 months.194 Patients older than 60 years respond more frequently within this interval than adults who are younger than 40 years of age (94% vs 64%).193 Patients who have improved after 24 months but to a degree less than adequate for drug withdrawal (incomplete response) are candidates for long-term maintenance treatment with low doses of prednisone alone or in combination with azathioprine, or azathioprine alone, depending on drug tolerance (Figure 1).47

  • View full-size image.
  • Figure 1. 

    Flow chart of therapy for AIH. Patients are given only corticosteroids or a lower dose of corticosteroids in combination with azathioprine (preferred initial regimen). The outcomes of initial therapy dictate changes in the treatment strategy.

Prevention of Side Effects 

The prevention of complications associated with the administration of prednisone and azathioprine can be accomplished by understanding their nature, monitoring for their occurrence, and instituting preemptive measures. Corticosteroid treatment must be discontinued in 13% of patients; of those withdrawn from therapy, most have intolerable cosmetic changes or obesity (47%), osteoporosis with vertebral compression (27%), and/or difficult-to-control diabetes (20%).192 Patients who receive a maintenance dose of prednisone (10 mg daily) in combination with azathioprine (50 mg daily) have a similar response to those who receive a higher maintenance dose of prednisone alone (20 mg daily) and have fewer side effects (10% vs 44%).195 Therefore, the combination regimen is preferred. The proper choice of the initial treatment regimen is one key to reducing the risk of drug-induced complications.

Another key to preventing side effects is to understand their nature and to monitor closely for their occurrence. The frequency of serious side effects associated with corticosteroid therapy increases with the duration of treatment and the dose of the medication.196 Patients treated for 12 to 18 months commonly gain weight and develop cushingoid facies. Osteopenia and vertebral compression are the major concerns, and elderly and postmenopausal patients, especially those requiring protracted therapy or repeated treatments because of relapse, are most at risk. These patients should receive a bone maintenance regimen at the start of treatment that emphasizes exercise and the use of calcium (1–1.5 g daily) and vitamin D3 (400 U daily) supplements. Annual bone densitometry in all adult patients can identify early bone loss and the need for treatment with bisphosphonates.

The overall frequency of azathioprine-related side effects in patients with AIH who are given daily doses of 50 mg is 10%.195 The principal side effect of azathioprine is cytopenia,197 with the most serious complication of bone marrow failure.198, 199 Forty-six percent of patients who are treated with azathioprine develop cytopenia, and 6% develop severe hematologic abnormalities.197 These toxicities cannot be predicted by genotype analysis or assays for thiopurine methyltransferase activity.197, 200, 201 The most common association with cytopenia in these patients is cirrhosis.197, 201 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined azathioprine to be a category D drug for pregnant women, and it should be discontinued during pregnancy. Azathioprine is not essential in the treatment of AIH during pregnancy, especially because inflammatory activity usually subsides and prednisone is sufficient.202, 203 The incidence of extrahepatic neoplasm in patients with AIH treated with conventional immunosuppressive regimens is 1 per 194 patient-years, the probability of tumor occurrence is 3% after 10 years, and the risk of malignancy is 1.4-fold greater than normal.204 These side effects do not mean that these drugs should be avoided, but that each patient should receive an individualized analysis of benefits and risks. Patients with pretreatment cytopenia or who develop cytopenia during azathioprine therapy should be assessed for serum thiopurine methyltransferase activity.2

Patients with AIH are susceptible to infections with hepatitis A virus (51%) and hepatitis B virus (86%), and vaccination against hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus is an important adjunctive treatment.205 The incidence of these infections is 1.3 to 1.4 per 1000 person-years, and the response to the hepatitis B virus vaccine is poor or absent in most individuals vaccinated during immunosuppressive therapy.205 Vaccination against these viruses before treatment might prevent viral superinfection and comorbidity.

Early Identification of Problematic Patients 

Patients who do not have clinical or laboratory improvement within 6 months may be poorly responsive to conventional treatment, and those who deteriorate by any clinical or laboratory parameter despite compliance with the treatment regimen are considered treatment failures.23 These patients require a change in the treatment strategy (Figure 1). They are candidates for high-dose prednisone (60 mg daily) or prednisone (30 mg daily) in combination with azathioprine (150 mg daily). Continued deterioration or nonresponse would justify consideration of an empiric savage therapy with a calcineurin inhibitor or mycophenolate mofetil or liver transplantation.184 The Model of End-Stage Liver Disease score can be useful in identifying patients likely to experience treatment failure. A pretreatment score of 12 points or higher at presentation identifies more than 90% of these patients with a specificity of 68% for treatment failure.206

Managing Relapse 

Relapse—the return of inflammatory activity determined by the reappearance of interface hepatitis in liver tissue samples—is the most common challenge to management of AIH.186, 207, 208 Comparisons of laboratory results with histologic findings after drug withdrawal indicated that an increased level of serum aspartate aminotransferase to at least 3-fold the upper limit of normal was associated with interface hepatitis, and consequently a liver tissue examination is rarely required to make this diagnosis.209 Repeated relapse and re-treatment is complicated by an increasing frequency of subsequent relapse (86% after the third round of treatment),207 development of treatment-related side effects (70% after 2 rounds of treatment),210 and progressive increase in the cumulative frequencies of cirrhosis (38%) and hepatic failure (20%).211 Relapses typically occur within 6 months after drug withdrawal, but the disease can return several years later, so lifelong surveillance is warranted.212, 213

After the first incidence of relapse, the original corticosteroid-based regimen is reinstituted and continued until laboratory tests indicate that liver inflammation is suppressed. The corticosteroid component is then gradually withdrawn and azathioprine therapy (2 mg/kg daily) is continued indefinitely (Figure 1).2, 47, 214, 215 On this regimen, 87% of patients are able to remain in clinical and laboratory remission for more than 10 years.215 Low doses of prednisone can be given instead of azathioprine for long-term maintenance if patients have cytopenia.216 In most instances, serum levels of ALT remained in the normal range; 87% of patients can be managed for long periods on 10 mg of prednisone daily or less (median dose, 7.5 mg daily). The low-dose prednisone strategy has been used effectively and safely for as long as 43 years (median, 13.5 years).217 Powerful immunosuppressive agents are also important in the treatment of AIH, mainly as salvage therapies (Figure 1). However, these have not been completely evaluated in controlled or comparative trials and target populations, dosing schedules, safety profiles, and cost analyses are uncertain.

Empiric Salvage Therapies 

Many studies have reported the ability of cyclosporine to treat patients with corticosteroid intolerance or treatment failure,218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224 and fewer studies have reported the efficacy of tacrolimus (Figure 1).225, 226, 227, 228, 229 Cyclosporine and tacrolimus are powerful calcineurin inhibitors that selectively block lymphocyte proliferation. However, there have only been a few recent reports of their use to treat patients with AIH, probably because of the emergence of other medications.

Mycophenolate mofetil is a purine antagonist that inhibits proliferation of activated lymphocytes but is not dependent on thiopurine methyltransferase activity.230 It improves various symptoms in 39% to 84% of patients with AIH, but 34% to 78% experience drug intolerance (nausea, vomiting, pancreatitis, rash, alopecia, deep venous thrombosis, and diarrhea).231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237 Furthermore, mycophenolate mofetil is 6 to 14 times more expensive than azathioprine.238, 239, 240 Its efficacy can be increased by selection of patients who will most likely respond to treatment; adults who do not tolerate azathioprine234 and children with AIH and normal bile ducts are prime candidates.237

Budesonide has shown promise as an alternative first-line therapy for patients with AIH241, 242, 243, 244; in a randomized clinical trial of 203 treatment-naive patients, budesonide (3 mg thrice daily) was more effective than prednisolone (40 mg daily for 4 weeks and 10 mg daily thereafter) when each was combined with azathioprine (1–2 mg/kg daily) for 6 months.245 The budesonide regimen normalized serum levels of ALT compared with the conventional regimen (47% vs 18%) and reduced the frequency of corticosteroid-related side effects (28% vs 53%).245 Furthermore, switching patients from prednisolone to budesonide after 6 months reduced corticosteroid-specific side effects after 12 months and patients remained in remission.246 Budesonide might also be a treatment option for patients with contraindications to conventional corticosteroid therapy (obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension, or emotional instability). It has not been successful as a salvage therapy in patients with treatment failure or corticosteroid dependence,247 and individuals with cirrhosis and portosystemic shunting might develop corticosteroid-related side effects.247, 248

Liver transplantation is an established salvage therapy. The survival of patient and graft after liver transplantation ranges from 83% to 92%,249, 250 and the actual 10-year survival is 75%.251 Furthermore, liver transplantation is successful in salvaging patients older than 60 years.252 AIH recurs in at least 12% of patients, usually in 1 to 8 years after the procedure (median time to recurrence, 2 years).253, 254, 255, 256 The frequency of recurrent AIH increases with time after transplantation, from 12% at 1 year to 36% after 5 years, and patients can progress to cirrhosis and graft failure.249, 255, 256 Furthermore, AIH can recur in the absence of clinical and laboratory features and be detected only by examination of liver tissue samples.257 De novo or posttransplantation AIH is a cause of graft dysfunction in 3% to 5% of children or adults who received liver transplants for diseases other than AIH,258, 259 and it requires prompt corticosteroid therapy (and sometimes treatment with rapamycin) to prevent graft failure.260, 261 Recurrent and de novo AIH typically improve by adjusting the immunosuppressive regimen.

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Emerging Cellular and Molecular Interventions 

Cellular and molecular therapies are being developed to preserve adaptive immune defenses, reduce treatment-related complications, ensure prompt onset of action, and allow tight regulation of the duration and intensity of the immunosuppressive effect (Table 3). These interventions are feasible because of improved understanding of the critical pathogenic pathways of AIH (Figure 2).

Table 3. Promising Targeted Molecular and Cellular Therapies
InterventionRationalePrecedentsExpedients
CTLA-4Ig (abatacept)Blocks second costimulatory signal for immunocyte activation by impairing CD28-B7 ligationEffective in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, mismatched marrow transplants, multiple sclerosis276, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282Soluble fusion molecule available; approved by FDA for rheumatoid arthritis283, 286
Recombinant IL-10Counteract type 1 cytokine responseVariable efficacy in patients with viral hepatitis, Crohn's disease266, 267, 268, 269Mild, reversible side effects; found to be safe in clinical trials; not FDA approved; variable efficacy271, 272
T regulatory cell adoptive transferIntensify immune suppressive actionsDeficient numbers and function in AIH170, 171, 172Cell populations can be expanded or freshly generated in culture174
Monoclonal antibodies to CD3(anti-CD3)Block T-cell receptor complex and lymphocyte activation287
Increase apoptosis of antigen-sensitized T cells287
Increase CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells290
Induce antigen-specific clonal deletion293		Prevention and complete remission of diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice294
Decreased insulin requirements and few side effects in diabetic patients295, 296, 297		Human studies in diabetes295, 296, 297
Nonmitogenic preparations with low levels of toxicity292, 295, 296
  • View full-size image.
  • Figure 2. 

    Putative pathogenic pathways of AIH. The antigenic peptide (a self-antigen or foreign antigen that resembles a self-antigen) is displayed in the antigen-binding groove of a class II molecule of the MHC. Genetic factors, especially DRB1*0301 and DRB1*0401 in white North American and northern European adults, encode the structure of the antigen-binding groove and affect the nature of the antigen that can be accommodated. Recognition of the antigen display on the surface of the antigen-presenting cell (APC) by the CD4+ T-cell completes the first costimulatory signal necessary for immunocyte activation (1st signal). Ligation of a B7 molecule on the surface of the APC with the CD28 molecule on the surface of the CD4+ T cell completes the second costimulatory signal necessary for immunocyte activation (2nd signal). The activated CD4+ T cells produce signature cytokines that facilitate the clonal expansion of liver-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells (type 1 cytokine response) or plasma cells that produce Ig (type 2 cytokine response). Deficiencies in the number and function of the Treg cells and NK cells and genetic polymorphisms in TNFA*2 and TNFRSF6 increase the type 1 cytokine response and proliferation of liver-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells. Hepatocyte apoptosis is accomplished by binding of the Fas ligand of the cytotoxic T cell to the Fas molecule on the hepatocyte surface (cell-mediated cytotoxicity). The Igs produced by the expanded clone of plasma cells, possibly as a consequence of deficient Treg and NKT cell function, bind to normal constituents of the hepatocyte membrane and attract NK cells with Fc receptors. The hepatocytes undergo cytolysis (antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity). IgG4 staining can be used to characterize some of the plasma cells.

Treg cells can be expanded or freshly generated in culture, so the deficiencies in their number or function in patients with AIH might be correctable by adoptive transfer therapies.174 Corticosteroid therapy can already improve Treg cell function but acts in a nonselective and short-term fashion.170 Selective targeting of antigen-specific Treg cells has been shown in tolerization studies that used disease-triggering antigens.262 Identification of the deficient population of antigen-specific Treg cells in patients with AIH is an important next step in developing this therapeutic strategy (Table 3).7

Administration of recombinant IL-10 reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis,263 inhibits the production of TNF-α,264 and counterbalances the cytotoxic type 1 cytokine response265 in mouse models of liver and nonliver diseases (Figure 2). In patients with chronic hepatitis C, it decreases liver inflammation and fibrosis,266, 267, 268 and in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, it improves the clinical and endoscopic features.269, 270 In patients, the side effects of treatment with recombinant IL-10 are dose related; they include reversible anemia and thrombocytopenia270 and mild/moderate influenza-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, and myalgias).271, 272 Recombinant IL-10 has rapid renal excretion that can limit its clinical efficacy, and it might intensify antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.273 Nevertheless, it remains a viable therapeutic candidate for further investigation (Table 3).

CTLA-4 is a homologue of the CD28 molecule and binds B7 on the surface of antigen-presenting cells to reduce T-cell activation (Figure 2).274, 275 Fusion of CTLA-4 with Ig creates a soluble dimeric recombinant human fusion protein (abatacept), which has been effective in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, mismatched bone marrow transplants, various malignancies, and multiple sclerosis.276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282 Abatacept was approved by the US FDA in 2006283 and the European Medicines Agency in 2007284 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Antiviral T-cell responses are reduced after blockade of the B7 molecules, and side effects of abatacept therapy include opportunistic infections.285, 286 The extent, specificity, and duration of immunocyte blockade induced by abatacept are unclear, but its efficacy in studies of animal and human immune-mediated diseases indicates that it might be used to treat patients with AIH (Table 3).7

CD3 is part of the T-cell receptor complex on mature T cells and is required to generate an activation signal.287 Monoclonal antibodies to CD3 (anti-CD3) can be immunosuppressive or mitogenic to T cells; in most animal and human studies, nonmitogenic monoclonal antibodies have been used to exert an immunosuppressive effect.288, 289, 290 Upon engaging the CD3/T-cell receptor complex on immature mouse thymocytes, anti-CD3 induces DNA degradation and cell death via apoptosis.287 Furthermore, anti-CD3 increases the proportion of Treg cells (CD4+CD25+) in the pancreatic and mesenteric lymph nodes.290, 291 CD3-specific antibodies target activated autoreactive T cells that have been sensitized to a specific disease-causing antigen. This approach might be used to deplete selective, antigen-specific, autoreactive T-cell clones yet maintain immune homeostasis (Table 3).292, 293, 294

In patients with diabetes, a nonactivating, humanized monoclonal antibody against CD3 administered for 6 to 14 days improved insulin production for at least 12 months, decreased insulin requirements, reduced glycosylated hemoglobin levels, improved C-peptide responses to a mixed meal, and had few side effects (fever, rash, anemia, transient Epstein-Barr viral mononucleosis).295, 296, 297 Improved preparations of monoclonal antibodies have decreased the risks of serious side effects associated with earlier preparations such as OKT3, which has been tested in patients undergoing organ transplantation.298, 299 There are limitations and concerns about antibody-based therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases, especially with regard to the dosing, modulation, and durability of the immune suppression and the selectivity of the targeting.300 Nevertheless, anti-CD3–based therapies have shown promise in patients with diabetes and might be developed to treat autoimmune diseases, including AIH.

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Conclusions 

Since AIH was first described in the 1950s, we have learned much about its etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Its diverse clinical phenotypes, which include an acute, severe presentation, create diagnostic challenges that can be met by standardized diagnostic criteria and scoring systems. Animal models based on immunization or infection with viral vectors that express human autoantigens have provided opportunities for evaluation of existing drugs, new targeted therapies, and cellular interventions. Studies of autoantibodies associated with AIH, such as anti-SLA, anti-actin, anti-LC1, and anti-UGT, can improve diagnostic specificity and provide insights into disease pathogenesis. Optimization of corticosteroid regimens can increase treatment-free intervals, protect against overtreatment, and identify candidates for other therapies. Budesonide promises to be more effective and safer than current agents in treatment-naive patients. Other powerful immunosuppressive drugs and molecular interventions are being developed based on recent insights into pathogenic pathways, emerging pharmacologic agents, and new technologies.

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 Conflicts of interest The authors disclose no conflicts.

PII: S0016-5085(10)00661-X

doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.04.053

Gastroenterology
Volume 139, Issue 1 , Pages 58-72.e4, July 2010

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